


Casting Shadows

by BlackFriar



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Blood and Injury, Dark, Gen, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt Shiro (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Mild Language, Past Child Abuse, Protective Shiro (Voltron), Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2018-12-07 19:31:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 74,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11630382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackFriar/pseuds/BlackFriar
Summary: An encounter with an ancient creature leaves Keith a child and Shiro reliving the past. While searching for a way to get their red paladin back, the team uncover a connection between a savage race of aliens and one of the universe’s oldest mysteries...and learn the past is never truly behind anyone.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Set some time after the end of season 1 but before the paladins met the Olkahari.

“Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” Søren Kierkegaard.

oOo

Carefully surveying the alien village through its wide-open gates, Shiro frowned. This village looked every bit as abandoned as the last one had been. Which begged the question, who had sent the distress signal?

Shiro didn’t have a good feeling about this.

He glanced at the others, standing silently beside him. Even Lance was unusually quiet. Shiro wondered if they were all feeling the same eerie atmosphere pressing on them that he was. He was certain Keith could; the red paladin’s eyes were narrowed and he had his bayard in his hand.

“Alright, guys,” Shiro addressed them, voice carrying in the unnatural silence, “this place is a lot bigger than the last village, so we’re going to need to split up. Hunk, Pidge, you take the middle ring. Keith, Lance, I want you guys to search the outer ring. Allura and I will check the centre of the village. Stay alert and keep your bayards out. Something doesn’t feel right about this.”

They nodded, before splitting off from Shiro and Allura. Shiro could hear Lance complaining about not being paired with Allura, until Keith told him to “quit whining” in a tone of vexation. Shiro couldn’t help but smile. Despite their somewhat antagonistic relationship, Lance and Keith worked well together.

As the bickering of the red and blue paladins faded, he turned to Allura and said, “Let’s work from the centre out.”

Allura nodded and followed him. Not for the first time, Shiro wished she had stayed in the castle instead of insisting on coming with them. He knew the princess could handle herself, but ever since she’d been captured during their disastrous infiltration of the Galra base a few weeks previous, he was wary of bringing her into situations like this.

He had a feeling Allura would kick his ass if he told her that though.

They moved through the silent streets without talking. Shiro was on constant alert for a threat, but still managed to marvel at the beautiful stone work of the walls circling the village – they stood almost thirty feet high, intricate patterns carved all around the top lending a decorative aspect to something that was obviously built for defence. The wall looked majestic against Dovarian’s brilliant orange sky.

He thought back to what Allura had told them after they received the distress beacon from this planet. The Dovari were master craftsmen, specializing in all manner of stone. They made their living by farming and trading their craft with other planets. As a peaceful race who abhorred war, they had few warriors, so they built several high walls around their villages to protect them. The outer wall was the largest, with just one entrance in, its purpose clearly to keep threats out. The middle wall wasn’t quite as large as the first, and had six entrances. Allura had explained that their purpose was to allow a speedy retreat behind that wall in the unlikely event of the outer wall being breached. The inner wall was the thickest and best fortified, the town’s last defence against an attack. 

As Shiro passed through the inner wall, he was troubled that – just like the last village on this planet – none of the walls showed any sign of an attack. The houses within each ring were untouched and the streets were clean. In fact, the only unusual thing about the streets was that they were empty. It was like the Dovari had just up and vanished. 

It wasn’t until they reached the centre of the village that they found the first sign to suggest something had happened. What looked like a market was set up there, but several of the carts had been knocked over, their contents strewn about the ground. 

“I do not like this, Shiro,” said Allura, looking around. “The Dovari do not believe in fighting. If they were attacked, they would have been unable to defend themselves.”

“But there’s no sign of fighting,” Shiro pointed out. “The carts have been knocked over, but nothing is broken. It looks like they just…ran.”

“Ran from what?” asked Allura, her face troubled.

Shiro shook his head. “I wish I knew.”

They searched several of the surrounding buildings without success. It wasn’t until they came to a large tower that they discovered something – the door leading into the tower was smashed and covered in a bright green fluid, like paint had been flung over it. The same colour was splattered all over the ground surrounding the tower, as well as the walls and floor just inside the door. 

Shiro turned to ask Allura what she thought, only to find her with one hand over her mouth, her eyes wide and horrified. “Princess, what’s wrong?”

She lowered her hand. “What’s _wrong?_ Shiro, don’t you see that?”

He glanced at the green stuff and raised a quizzical eyebrow. “Uh, yes?”

“Then how can you not– Shiro, that’s blood!”

“What?! It’s green!”

“The Dovari bleed green. Oh, Shiro, what could have happened to them?”

Shiro shook his head, staring back at the tower. Knowing the green splatters were blood made him feel slightly ill. Something incredibly violent had happened here. And where were the bodies?

“This is a lot of blood,” said Allura. “But it would not account for an entire village. Where are the rest of its people?”

She looked more distressed than Shiro was used to seeing from her. “Princess, are you okay?”

Face sad, she shook her head. “One of my father’s oldest friends was a Dovarian clan leader. I spent a lot of time here as a child.”

Instantly, Shiro understood why she had been so insistent about coming down to this planet. It was one of her last links to Altea. “I’m sorry, Princess. But I promise, we’ll find–”

“GUYS! HELP!” Lance’s voice shrieked over the comms.

“Lance, what is it? What’s wrong?” Shiro demanded, hearing blaster fire in the background.

“We’re being attacked! And she’s– Keith, _no!_ Don’t–”

A deafening screech exploded across the comms that reminded Shiro of the electronic feedback he’d occasionally heard from some of earth’s older technology. But he’d never heard anything like that from the Altean technology and felt a burst of alarm. “Lance! Are you okay?! What’s happening?”

There was no response.

“Lance! Keith! Do you copy?” said Shiro urgently.

This time Hunk’s panicked voice came through. “Shiro, did you guys hear that?! What’s going on?! Lance? LANCE!”

“Hunk, calm down,” said Shiro. “I need you and Pidge to get to Lance and Keith’s coordinates. Allura and I will meet you there.”

The yellow paladin’s reply was practically a whimper. “Okay.”

“Let’s go!” Shiro told Allura, taking off at a run. 

Racing back through the eerily deserted streets, adrenaline and concern flooded Shiro. What had happened to Keith and Lance? Were they attacked by whatever attacked the Dovari? 

Just then, Keith’s coordinates dropped off the scanner, leaving only Lance’s. A tinge of fear blossomed in his chest and Shiro put on a burst of speed. Beside him, Allura was effortlessly keeping pace.

They reached Lance’s location almost seven minutes later. Hunk and Pidge were already there, crouched beside Lance. The blue paladin was hunched over on his knees with his forehead pressed into the ground, hands tucked between his legs and moaning in pain. There was no sign of Keith.

“Lance!” cried Shiro, skidding to a halt beside them. “Are you okay? What happened?”

Lance gave a whimper in response. 

Shiro crouched beside him. “Lance, buddy, where are you hurt?”

Lance tried to answer this time, but all that came out was a strangled groan. 

“We just found him like this,” said Hunk anxiously. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him – there isn’t any blood.”

“What about Keith?” asked Shiro.

Pidge shook her head. “He wasn’t here. There’s no trace of his signal and he’s not responding on the comms.”

“Did you see anything else?”

“Just some kid,” Hunk replied, now kneeling beside Lance and patting his back. “He was running away when we arrived. But we didn’t chase him because Lance was…well…” He waved a hand in the direction of the blue paladin.

“You saw a child?” demanded Allura. “Was it one of the Dovari?”

Pidge shook her head. “No. He was too far away to see properly, but I’m pretty sure his form was humanoid.”

A loud moan came from Lance and the blue paladin lifted his head up from the dirt, eyes watering. “The…kid…” he rasped. “Keith…”

“Keith went after the kid?” Shiro tried to clarify.

Groaning, Lance shook his head. “It’s…Keith…”

“What’s Keith?” asked Hunk, his face confused.

“Keith…is…the kid…” Lance gasped, the effort of speaking clear in his voice.

There was silence for a moment before Hunk ventured, “Um…Lance, you’re not making any sense. Do you have, like, a concussion or something?”

Lance made a sound that might have been frustration. “Keith,” he choked out. “The kid is…Keith!”

“Nope, you’re still not making any sense,” said Hunk. “What do you mean the kid is Keith?”

“Don’t…know…” Lance moaned, and with visible effort, he straightened up. Now kneeling upright, it became clear to everyone that his hands weren’t tucked between his legs…they were clutching his groin. 

Hunk immediately squeaked and pressed his legs together. 

Shiro put a hand on Lance’s shoulder. “Lance, I don’t understand; how could the kid be Keith?”

Lance swallowed, face tight with pain, and shook his head. “Don’t know…” he said again. “Attacked…”

“What attacked you?” asked Shiro.

“Banshee…” Lance groaned.

Hunk, Pidge and Shiro all raised their eyebrows. Allura just looked confused. “What is a…banshee?”

“It’s a mythical creature,” replied Pidge at once. “It doesn’t exist.”

Lance glared at her, the pain on his face a little less pronounced now. “She sounded like one!”

“Enough!” said Shiro, when Pidge opened her mouth to respond. “We don’t have time for this. We need to know what happened and find Keith. Lance, what did this…banshee do?”

Lance swallowed, straightening up a little more. “She…came out of nowhere. Started shooting this…lightning at us. We ducked for cover. Keith…” Lance exhaled, relaxing as the pain on his face started to smooth out. “Keith told me to distract her, so I started shooting at her. But she kept firing the lightning at me and I couldn’t get a clear shot. I didn’t know where Keith was, so I called you guys for help. Next thing I knew, Keith was jumping out at her, but she hit him with the lightning and he went down. I managed to get her with my blaster then and she screamed _like a banshee_ ,” he gave Pidge a mulish look, “before flying away.”

Lance breathed out and removed his hands from between his legs. “I went to check on Keith and found a kid lying there that looked like Keith. When I went to help him up, he just _attacked_ me! Kneed me in an area that’s only meant to be treated gently and then took off.” Lance looked up at Allura with an aggrieved expression. “Why don’t these suits have cups?”

She ignored him, turning to Shiro with a look of alarm. “Shiro, if Keith really has been transformed into a child then he’s defenceless against whatever attacked the Dovari! We have to find him.”

“I agree. But we can’t do it out in the open, not with this…banshee running around the place. We need the lions. Mine is just up the hill, but we don’t have time to fly back to the castle to get the others.”

“I’ll contact Coran and have him land the castle,” Allura told him. “You get to your lion and start searching for Keith.”

Shiro nodded and sprinted towards his lion, wishing that they had brought more than one. But after finding the first village totally deserted, Allura had insisted upon stealth when visiting the second one. And the black lion was more powerful than the green lion in the event of an attack.

They just hadn’t planned for this kind of attack.

Shiro’s mind raced as he tried to digest what was happening. Keith had been turned into a _kid!_ How was that even possible? And what use would _anyone_ have for a human child all the way out here in space? 

Shiro shook his head. He’d become so used to weird experiences since they became paladins that it felt somewhat disconcerting to still be shocked like this.

Reaching the Black Lion and climbing in, Shiro could feel his worry growing. How were they going to change Keith back? Even if the Red Lion still accepted him as her paladin, there was no way Shiro would allow a child to fight in this war – allowing four teenage paladins was bad enough. But without Keith, how would they form Voltron? Not to mention that Shiro didn’t want to lose the Keith he knew.

Because Keith had run, meaning he hadn’t recognized Lance. Shiro wondered if he would be old enough to recognize _him_. He sure hoped so, because once they found Keith, they would probably have to convince him they were trying to help. And Shiro knew from experience that wouldn’t be easy.

Sighing, he allowed his mind to drift back to his first meeting with Keith.

oOo

_Planet Earth, 2090_ …

Shiro stepped out of the store, lifting his head to feel the afternoon sun. After several months in space he’d missed the warmth of sun on his skin. He loved his job, but months of never-ending space darkness could get a little wearying.

“Hey, Shiro!” someone yelled, and he looked across the street to where a bunch of cadets were waving at him.

Shiro waved back awkwardly. He had no idea who those kids were, but after his return from Miranda six days previously, he’d been mobbed nearly everywhere he went in the Garrison. And now it looked like the same thing was going to happen in town as well.

Yet, much as he hated the attention, Shiro understood it. Just turned twenty-two, he was the youngest pilot ever chosen by the Garrison to fly a pioneering exploration mission; their first human-directed flight mission to one of Uranus’ moons. Its success made Shiro Galaxy Garrison’s poster boy, and he was struggling to deal with the attention.

Fortunately, the cadets didn’t cross the street to pepper him with questions, and Shiro breathed a sigh of relief before continuing towards the parking lot. After four days of quarantine and debriefing, followed by another two of press conferences and cadet talks, he just wanted to head back to his apartment, crack open a cold one and watch some TV.

Approaching his bike, Shiro was alarmed to see a small group of kids roughhousing beside it. The bike was his most prized possession: a vintage Ducati he had rebuilt with his Dad. Shiro had inherited it after his father passed away two years previously.

Then one of the bigger boys shoved the smallest, and he crashed into Shiro’s bike, knocking it over.

“HEY!” Shiro yelled, dropping his bag and breaking into a run.

The kids scattered immediately, all except for the one sprawled across Shiro’s bike. He scrambled to his feet as Shiro approached and made to run, but Shiro grabbed his arm. “Not so fast!”

“Lemme go!” the kid cried, kicking Shiro in the shin.

Shiro’s eyes watered and he lost his hold on the struggling boy, but managed to grab his jacket sleeve before he could slip away. “I don’t think so! That’s my bike and we’re going to see what damage you’ve done.”

“It was an accident!” 

Shiro snorted. “Then maybe you guys shouldn’t have been goofing around.” 

One hand keeping careful hold of the kid, Shiro examined his bike and immediately spotted a deep scratch along the gleaming black paint. The wing mirror on that side had been broken as well. Shiro groaned. _Dammit!_

He glared at the boy. “That is a _vintage_ bike – do you know how hard it is to find parts when things get broken?!”

“Sorry,” muttered the kid, peering up at him through messy, dark bangs. 

It was then Shiro realized the boy’s cheek was grazed and his lip was bleeding. “Hey, are you okay?”

The kid swiped at his lip with his free hand, revealing bloody knuckles and a torn jacket sleeve. “Fine.”

Shiro frowned as he studied the kid. He was younger than he’d initially thought, maybe eleven or twelve, but the other boys had looked to be thirteen or fourteen. “Were they picking on you?”

The boy kept his head low and didn’t respond. 

“Were. They. Picking on you?” Shiro repeated.

The kid squirmed, but still didn’t say anything.

Shiro sighed. “Look, if they were picking on you, then the damage isn’t your fault. But I’m going to need their names.”

The kid jerked his head up, finally giving Shiro a clear view of his face. His eyes stood out – an unusual violet colour. “I don’t know their names.”

“Then what’s your name?”

“Uh, Adam!” said the kid, a little too quickly.

“Oh, really? Adam what?”

“Adam…Smith!”

Shiro sighed. The kid was a crappy liar. “Fine, you don’t want to tell me. But once I get the police down here–”

“The police?!” squeaked the kid, definitely panicked now.

“Yes, the police. That is several hundred dollars’ worth of damage. Someone has to– oof!”

Without warning, the kid had struck, driving his elbow into Shiro’s stomach and stamping down hard on his foot. Taken aback, Shiro stumbled and lost his grip. The boy took off instantly. Shiro gave chase, but the kid was fast and Shiro lost him in the nearest alley.

Muttering to himself, Shiro returned to his bike and collected his bag of groceries from the ground. He was just pulling the bike back to a standing position when he spotted the schoolbag discarded nearby. Scooping it up, he checked the bag and was rewarded with a name and address.

_Keith Kogane. 413 Adam Crescent._

Shiro snorted. The kid was an even worse liar than he’d thought if the best fake name he could come up with was his own address.

_Alright, Keith Kogane. Let’s pay you a visit._

oOo

Shiro shook himself out of his memories once the other paladins joined in the search.

He was surprised to discover Allura had joined Pidge in the Green Lion. He’d thought she would stay in the castle with Coran, who was now scanning the planet for signs of either Keith, the Dovari or this creature Lance had seen. 

“Lance, there are no such things as banshees!” Pidge was arguing crossly.

“Yeah, well, up until two months ago we thought there were no such things as aliens!” Lance snapped. 

“Dude has a point,” Hunk interjected. 

Pidge’s frustrated sigh echoed across the comms. “We didn’t know about the aliens because they came from other solar systems! Banshees are supposed to exist on earth and yet _no one_ has ever seen one!” 

“Then how do you explain all the stories about them?” Lance demanded. “They had to come from somewhere!”

“Yeah, out of the mouths of cranks!” Pidge shot back. “Besides, whatever this thing is, it’s not a banshee.”

“And how would you know?” cried Lance indignantly. “I’m the only one who saw it!”

“Because banshees are an Earth legend,” Pidge pointed out. “And we’re several galaxies away from Earth.”

“Oh. Right.” Lance paused, then said, “But what about–”

“Alright, enough with the banshee!” Shiro interrupted, eyes scanning the ground he was flying over.

“See? Shiro thinks it’s a banshee,” said Lance smugly.

“ _Lance!_ ” 

“Sorry, Shiro.”

Shiro sighed. “Can you just describe what the thing looked like?”

“It was pale green and skinny,” Lance answered. “And it had these really long fingers with sharp nails–”

“Like claws?” Hunk wanted to know.

“No. Just regular fingers. I don’t know if it had legs because it was wearing this shaggy robe-thing. Plus, it was floating. And it had long, white hair–”

“Wait!” Allura interrupted. “Lance, was its hair whipping back and forth, like a wind was moving through it?”

“Um…yeah, actually. How’d you know?”

“It’s a Govnex!” said Allura. 

“What’s a Govnex?” asked Pidge.

“They are an ancient race of magical beings. Their planet was destroyed by some undocumented disaster long before Voltron was ever created. The few that survived were scattered across the universe.”

“Why would one attack Lance and Keith?” Shiro asked. “Or turn Keith into a kid?”

“I have no idea,” Allura replied. “The Govnex are solitary creatures that avoid contact with others. Much like the Dovari, they would sooner flee than fight.”

“But they’re very powerful,” Coran’s voice joined the frequency. “They could make you disappear in the sneeze of a Yutzin!”

“Coran, can you adjust the scan to include a Govnex?” Allura requested. “Its power may make it easier to track.”

“Already on it, Princess.”

“We need to figure out what this creature’s motivations are,” said Shiro. “Lance, what were you and Keith doing when it attacked you?”

“Nothing! We were just coming out of a house we had finished searching when the thing attacked us.”

Shiro raised an eyebrow. “And that was it?”

“That was it.”

“I have never heard of a Govnex attacking unprovoked,” said Allura.

“And _why_ turn Keith into a kid?” added Shiro. “That’s the part that makes no sense to me. What use would creatures as powerful as this have for a kid?”

“I am not sure,” said Allura. “There are some…unpleasant rituals that require children of a certain age to fulfil them. Lance, how old would you say Keith was?”

“Uh…I dunno.”

“Think of his size,” suggested Shiro. “Was he younger or older than twelve?”

“Younger…maybe? I’m pretty sure he was smaller than Pidge at least.”

There was an outraged sound from the green paladin. “Are you suggesting I’m smaller than–”

Shiro cut across her before this could escalate. “Hunk, Pidge, did you guys get a read on his age?”

“Sorry, Shiro,” came Hunk’s voice. “He was too far away for us to get a close look, but it did look like he was smaller than Pidge.”

“Allura, does that mean anything to you?” asked Shiro.

“Nothing. I’m sorry, Shiro.”

“So, we still have no clue what the Govnex was doing,” Shiro concluded with a sigh. 

“Or if its presence is related to the missing Dovari,” added Allura.

They lapsed into silence and Shiro knew they were all pondering what had happened on this planet, and how it was related to what the Govnex had done to Keith.

He surveyed the ground he was flying over and realized this was his second pass over the same stretch of land. “Princess, this isn’t working. My lion isn’t picking up any readings. I think there’s something interfering with the scanners.”

“Me too,” said Pidge. “I’ve been trying to get a read on the energy surrounding the area where the Govnex–”

“Princess!” Coran’s voice was shrill as it cut back into the frequency. “The castle picked up a signal; a ship has landed not far from here. It’s not Dovarian, it’s Rykurian!”

On the screen, Shiro saw alarm on Allura’s face. “Rykurians! Coran, are you sure?”

“Yes, Princess. The only reason I managed to pick it up was due to a huge burst of energy from the ship when I triangulated the sensors to scan for the Govnex. I think it’s with them.”

Allura frowned. “What would a Govnex be doing with Rykurians?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, Princess,” replied Coran. “And we have another problem.”

“What problem?” Shiro demanded. 

“Our scanners aren’t working to full capacity,” Coran told him. “I’ve pinpointed some type of energy radiating up from beneath the village that’s throwing the sensors off. You’re not going to be able to find Keith this way.”

“Then we must risk landing,” said Allura.

Coran gasped. “Princess, you can’t!”

“We must. We cannot allow the Rykurians to find Keith.”

“Are Rykurians bad?” Hunk asked. “’Cause I’m starting to get the feeling that they’re bad.”

Allura’s face was tight. “The Rykurians are a nomadic race that have roamed the universe for centuries. They survive by scavenging off other planets.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound so bad,” Hunk offered. “I mean, they’re just trying to survive…right?”

“Survival for a Rykurian means cannibalism,” replied Allura shortly.

“ _Cannibalism?!_ ” cried Hunk. “Okay, that is bad, definitely bad, waaaaaay bad!”

Panic started to bubble in Shiro’s stomach as he remembered the alien blood splattered around the tower entrance. “Allura, what happens if they find Keith first?”

Allura’s eyes were full of concern. “They will eat him alive.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm currently working on the last two chapters of the story so updates will be pretty quick. Thanks to everyone who commented and left kudos on the first chapter. Much appreciate it. :)

_Planet Earth, 2090_ …

Shiro parked outside 413 Adam Crescent, pulling his helmet off with a raised eyebrow.

It was a weird neighbourhood. 

The street was a bizarre mix of impeccably maintained and ramshackle houses. 413 was a well-kept, white detached, with shutters on the windows and pink freesias lining the front path. The house on its left was boarded-up and abandoned, while the house to its right was in dire need of work: peeling paint, sagging porch, cracked windows and an overgrown yard.

Shiro heaved the schoolbag off his bike – did the kid have rocks in there? – before striding up 413’s path and ringing the bell.

It took a few minutes before the door was opened by an enormous man in grey sweatpants and an Arizona Wildcats’ t-shirt. “Yeah, whaddya want?”

Shiro decided to play it cautious. The man had a mean look about him. “Does Keith Kogane live here?”

“Who’s askin’?”

“My name is Takashi Shirogane. I’m an officer with Galaxy Garrison and I just witnessed some kids damage my bike. I caught one of them, but he got away and left this behind.” Shiro held up the bag. “This address and the name Keith Kogane are on it.” 

The man’s face flushed red. He turned and bellowed, “KEITH! DOWNSTAIRS! NOW!”

Hurried footsteps sounded overhead. Seconds later, the boy from the parking lot appeared on the stairs. He froze when he saw Shiro. 

“Hello again,” Shiro greeted calmly, still holding up the bag. “You left something behind.”

The boy didn’t respond, and for the first time in his life, Shiro watched someone’s face literally drain of colour. 

“Get your ass down those stairs right now!” the man spat through clenched teeth.

The boy – Keith – descended slowly. When he got within range, the man in grey sweatpants reached out and grabbed his upper arm, yanking him closer and squeezing the arm far harder than Shiro had done in the parking lot. 

“You vandalizing property now?” he demanded, shaking the kid.

“Actually, the other boys were picking on Keith and shoved him into my bike,” Shiro corrected, disapproval rising at the big man’s rough behaviour. “It wasn’t his fault. But I do need the names of those other boys. Someone has to pay for the damage.”

“Well, I ain’t payin’ for it! What’re their names?” he demanded, shaking Keith again.

Keith shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“ _Don’t_ you lie to me, boy!” the man spat, shaking Keith harder. 

“Hey, take it easy!” cried Shiro, feeling the first scratchings of anger. “Mr. Kogane–”

“That ain’t my name!” the man snapped, turning towards Shiro. “It’s Jansen. Greg Jansen.”

“Okay then, Mr. Jansen. And it’s like I said, Keith wasn’t at fault. I just want the names of the other boys. Keith,” Shiro addressed the kid, “I get that you don’t want to tell tales, or maybe you’re scared of those other boys if they’ve been picking on you, but the only way to fix this is to tell the truth.”

Something strange flitted over the kid’s face before his expression grew stony. “I don’t know them. I was on my way home from school and they just jumped me.”

Greg snorted and squeezed his arm even tighter. “Jumped you, my ass! You were fightin’ again, weren’t ya?” 

He shook the kid so hard that Shiro struggled not to physically intervene. “Mr. Jansen, please! If your son said–”

“He’s not my kid!” the man snapped. 

Shiro blinked. “He’s…not?”

“No! Damn foster kid. And before you start feeling all sorry for him Officer Shiraki, or Sharani, or whatever the hell your name is, let me tell you now, this kid is nothin’ but trouble! History of violence, picking fights…even been kicked outta school! Last foster home couldn’t handle him so Social kicked him to me.” The man gave a mean smile. “I got a reputation for dealing with problem kids.” 

_I bet you do_ , thought Shiro sourly, eyes darting to where his meaty paw was gripping Keith’s arm so hard it was going to leave bruises. “Look, if Keith says those kids jumped him, then I believe him.”

“You’re a fool,” Greg sneered, as Keith jerked his head up to stare at Shiro. “Kid’s a devious little shit, total liar!”

“Not in this case,” said Shiro firmly. “He didn’t do anything wrong, so you can let him go.”

The man narrowed his eyes. “You gonna press charges about the bike?”

Shiro shook his head. “No.”

“Then we’re done here.”

The man moved to close the door, but Shiro flung his hand out to stop him. “Keith’s schoolbag?” he said in a hard voice, holding the object out.

“Take the bag!” the man ordered Keith, refusing to let go of either the boy or the door.

Keith stepped forward, looking up at Shiro with those odd-coloured eyes as he took the bag. “Thanks,” he whispered.

Shiro didn’t get the chance to respond before the kid was yanked back and the door was slammed in his face, leaving him seething on the porch.

oOo

Shiro snapped out of his memories to hear the others arguing about the best way to find Keith before the Rykurians did.

He shook himself. He really needed to stop zoning out like that. But his mind just didn’t work the same since his time as a Galra prisoner and it was disturbingly easy to get lost in his memories.

“Okay, enough!” Shiro interrupted the argument. “Our best bet is to go back to where Keith and Lance were attacked, then head in the same direction as Keith on foot. One of us can stay in the lions to provide aerial cover in case the Rykurians show up.”

“If I might suggest Pidge being the one to provide aerial cover?” Coran interjected. “The Green Lion can cloak itself, which will give you an element of surprise if you’re attacked by the Rykurians. Plus, it might be best if Pidge isn’t on the ground.”

“Why not?” demanded Pidge at once.

“Well, you see…” Coran hesitated. “The thing is…your size–”

“What about it?” said Pidge sharply.

“Well, it means the Rykurians might consider you a child. And…well, given how the Rykurians view children it’s probably best that–”

“Rykurians consider children a delicacy,” Allura cut in bluntly.

There was shocked silence for a moment before Hunk spluttered. “Ewww! That is officially the most disgusting thing I’ve ever heard! Uhhh…I think I’m gonna throw up…”

And then something clicked for Shiro. “Everyone, back to where Keith and Lance were attacked! Now! We don’t have much time.”

“Shiro, what’s the matter?” asked Allura.

“The Govnex turned Keith into a kid and Coran located the Govnex on the Rykurian ship, meaning the Govnex must be turning people into children for the Rykurians! It’s the only explanation that makes sense.”

Allura sucked in a sharp breath. “That means they know about Keith!”

Pressing his lion to its speed limits, Shiro nodded. “They’re probably tracking him right now.”

“Oh, this is bad. This is bad. This is so very, very bad,” Hunk fretted. “Anybody else missing the Galra I-just-want-to-conquer-the-universe right about now?”

“Yes!” cried Lance. “Who’d have thought there are _worse_ aliens than Galra out there?!”

Nobody answered that question.

Within minutes, they reached the location where Lance and Keith had been attacked. Landing where Pidge and Hunk had last seen the red paladin, Shiro ordered Pidge to stay in the air and follow them, keeping the green lion cloaked.

Hunk, Lance and Shiro exited their lions, whose shields went up as soon as the paladins were out – a clear warning that danger was close.

“Bayards out,” said Shiro in a quiet voice. “And no noise. Follow me.”

They did as instructed, Hunk’s big frame shaking like a leaf. 

Heading in the direction Hunk said Keith had gone, Shiro struggled with frustration at going in circles and wished they had done this from the start. He knew hindsight was always twenty-twenty, and with an unknown creature who had the ability to turn them into children on the loose, the lions had seemed like the fastest and safest course of action. But that still didn’t make him feel better about how much time they had lost flying around. Keith had a forty-minute head-start – he could be anywhere!

Shiro kept his eyes and ears peeled as they moved through the streets, alert for any sign of Keith or the Rykurians. He wished this were a forest or something, where the dirt would have made Keith easier to track. Here in the village, the clean streets gave no indication of what way he had gone, and Shiro had no idea if they were even heading in the right direction.

They had been searching for almost twenty minutes when Shiro heard a noise. He stopped, holding up his hand for the others to do the same.

“What is it?” Lance whispered, looking around warily, bayard at the ready. 

Shiro shook his head, straining to listen. “I’m not sure.” Gradually, he could make out the distant sound of howling and snarling. 

“It’s the Rykurians!” Allura’s voice rang urgently in his ear. “They must have picked up Keith’s scent!”

That was all Shiro needed to hear. He took off in the direction of the noise. 

“We’ll fly ahead,” said Pidge. “But you guys need to get there quickly in case I can’t land my lion.”

Panic clawed at Shiro as he ran. Just behind him, he could hear Lance’s quick breathing as he tried to keep pace, and somewhere further back came the lumbering sound of Hunk struggling to keep up. The yellow paladin was built for strength, not speed. 

“Shiro!” Pidge cried suddenly. “We’ve found them, fifty feet to your left. But they have Keith cornered – I can’t fire in case I hit him!”

Shiro veered in that direction, pushing himself to run faster. _Go, go, go_ …

Bursting out from the street into a tree-lined square, Shiro was greeted by a ferocious sight. A large group of aliens, all snarling and growling like rabid dogs, were scrambling and clawing around a yellow tree. Keith was perched in its branches, wildly slamming a stick at the aliens as they tried to reach him.

“LANCE! HUNK! AIM FOR THEIR LEGS SO YOU DON’T HIT KEITH!” Shiro roared, activating his Galra arm and pelting towards the fray. 

Instantly, blaster fire echoed from behind him, causing the Rykurians to turn and howl. Several of them rushed towards the paladins, lured from the tree by fresh prey.

Shiro didn’t think he’d ever seen anything quite so terrifying as these monsters. They were taller than him, with mottled, pasty-white skin that was covered in red war paint. Piercings marked various points across their faces and they had shaggy black hair. What looked like bones hung from their clothing, and as they hurtled towards him, Shiro caught a glimpse of sharp, pointed teeth within their snarling mouths.

He could only imagine how much it hurt to be devoured by those teeth.

Four of the Rykurians went down to blaster fire before they reached him, but another three attacked in a vicious maw of snapping teeth and claws. Shiro managed to slice his Galra arm through the upper torso of the first one and the alien went down in a spray of black blood. Then the other two were on him, and Shiro found himself embroiled in a battle for his life, worse even than anything he remembered fighting in the gladiator arena as a Galra prisoner. 

The aliens’ teeth kept snapping frantically and it took everything Shiro had to keep the things from devouring him. He suspected they’d already be eating him if it weren’t for the extra strength his Galra arm gave him. Blaster fire was now thundering around them and Shiro guessed Pidge was firing her lion’s canons at the Rykurians disengaging from the tree. 

When one of the aliens trying to chow down on Shiro latched its teeth onto his Galra prosthetic, Shiro immediately forced the arm through its head in a violent spray of blood and brain matter. However, putting the focus on that alien cost him, allowing the other Rykurian to latch onto his armour from behind, its snapping teeth perilously close to his neck.

Shiro was struggling desperately to exrtricate himself when the alien’s face exploded, showering him in blood and brain matter. 

Wiping the visor of his helmet, Shiro glanced back to see Lance with his blaster aimed in their direction. “Nice shooting, Lance!” 

The blue paladin gave a thumbs up and resumed fire. 

More Rykurians were now pouring into the square, Pidge’s canons shooting frantically to take them down. Blaster fire whistled deafeningly from behind Shiro, taking out the Rykurians racing in his direction. Bodies were strewn haphazardly about the square in a scene of absolute carnage. He looked across the square to the tree where Keith was, and was alarmed to see three Rykurians had almost clawed their way up its trunk. Keith was still whacking at them with the stick, but Shiro could see that it was much shorter now, its end broken and frayed. 

Then one of the aliens managed to grab the stick. Yanking on it, he pulled Keith out of the tree.

“ _Keith!_ ” Shiro yelled, as the boy hit the ground and two of the aliens jumped from the tree to land over him. The third Rykurian went down in a blast of canon fire.

KEITH!” Shiro roared, racing for him. He could see the boy on the ground, pushing what was left of the stick up into the snapping teeth now inches from his face. Horror filled Shiro when he realized he’d never make it on time.

“ARRRGGGHHHH!” came a sudden scream, and someone hurtled into the Rykurians from the side.

Shiro was shocked when he recognized Hunk. The yellow paladin hadn’t been behind him like he’d thought. Instead, he’d probably been working his way up the side of the square, blasting the Rykurians in his path to reach Keith. Unfortunately, Hunk’s bayard wasn’t designed for precision like Lance’s, it was built with power in mind, and with the aliens literally on top of Keith, Hunk hadn’t been able to fire. So, he’d obviously done the only thing he could think of to save the boy from being eaten alive; he’d thrown himself at the aliens. 

But Shiro knew Hunk had no hope against the savage Rykurians in close combat. He raced towards the yellow paladin, watching a pinned Hunk use his bayard as a shield between him and one of the Rykurians, the alien’s weight preventing him from getting it into a firing position. 

The second Rykurian was moving for Keith again, teeth still snapping as it dived for the boy. But Shiro was now close enough to launch himself over Keith at the Rykurian, activating his Galra arm as he did so. It sliced through the alien’s throat, blood spurting in a freakishly elegant arc over Shiro and Keith. 

Shiro hit the ground and rolled. Without losing momentum, he sprang up and dove at the Rykurian trying to eat Hunk, driving his fist through the thing’s head. Its body jerked twice before collapsing limply across Hunk. 

The yellow paladin groaned.

“Hunk! Are you okay?” asked Shiro anxiously.

“No, nope! Definitely not okay!” Hunk declared, shoving the alien off and clambering to his feet. “I am not on board with alien cannibals being a thing! Aren’t the Galra bad enough?!”

Shiro shot Hunk a weary smile, before turning back to check on Keith. The boy had gotten to his feet and was backing away from them, both hands clamped firmly around the stick he was holding in front of him. His t-shirt and part of his face had splatters of black alien blood on them, and there were several red, angry gashes on his arms where the Rykurians had managed to dig their claws in. His eyes were wide and Shiro had never seen Keith look so freaked out before.

But on the plus side, he also looked to be the same age as when Shiro had first met him. If Keith remembered Shiro, it would make convincing him to trust them a little easier. 

Shiro opened his mouth just as Lance came up behind Keith, drawling, “Well, that was fun.”

Keith spun to face Lance, swinging the stick as he did so.

Lance ducked. “Whoa! Whoa! Cool your jets, Keith!” 

“Keith–” Shiro began, stepping forward, but the boy swung around, stick at the ready. 

“Stay away from me!” he warned, making a chopping motion with the stick, hands shaking visibly. 

Shiro’s heart sank. Keith didn’t recognize him.

“Oh, come on!” said Lance indignantly, and Keith jerked back to face him. “You can’t honestly think we’re the bad guys after saving your butt from the Rykurians?!”

Keith didn’t respond. Instead, he edged into a sideways stance where he had a view of Shiro, Hunk and Lance, then took several steps back. His eyes darted up to where the Green Lion – now uncloaked – was hovering above them, then dropped back to stare at the massacred alien bodies peppering the square.

It had been their bloodiest battle as paladins, Shiro realized. Usually combat took place in the lions against Galra ships, or they fought hand-to-hand against Galra drones, where robotic parts were the worst aftermath. This was the first time they’d spilled so much blood in hand-to-hand, and they’d been forced to do so in the most violent manner possible to survive against the Rykurians. Shiro could guess how that had made them look to Keith. 

Hunk seemed to be thinking the same thing because he squatted down, hands held up in a peaceful gesture, addressing Keith in a soft voice. “Okay, little dude, I know that must have looked really, really bad, but those were some seriously evil aliens. I mean, they _eat_ people! And kids are kind of a delicacy to them which, so gross, and…ohhhh, it makes me wanna throw up…” The yellow paladin made a gagging noise and his stomach gurgled. 

“Hunk!” Lance groaned. “I thought you were over this?”

“What? Don’t tell me you don’t feel a little sick after all that! I mean, look at this pla– wait!” Hunk’s eyes went wide as he checked out his own arms and body. “Look at _us!_ We’re totally covered in…oh god…”

This time Hunk really did barf. Lance rolled his eyes, while Keith looked revolted. 

Hunk’s words triggered a realization for Shiro; their paladin armour was covered in black blood. Shiro’s in particular was coated in blood and disgusting brain matter; he could see chunks of it slowly sliding down his helmet in his peripheral vision. To Keith, they probably didn’t even seem human.

No wonder he didn’t recognize Shiro.

Yanking his helmet off, Shiro crouched down and looked Keith straight in the eyes. “Keith…we’re not going to hurt you.”

The boy’s eyes went wide. He stared at Shiro, gaze going from the scar across Shiro’s nose, to his tuft of white hair before coming back to meet his eyes. “Sh-Shiro?”

Shiro smiled and nodded in relief. Keith knew him. “Yeah, buddy. It’s me.”

Keith’s mouth opened in a small ‘o’ of shocked disbelief.

“Hold the phone!” cried Lance. “He _knows_ you?!”

Keith narrowed his eyes at Lance, and Shiro shot the blue paladin a warning look. “Yes, Lance, Keith knows me.”

The blue paladin had the sense not to say anymore. Shiro returned his attention to the boy. “Keith, I’m not going to lie, this is a pretty messed up situation. But we really need to get you somewhere safe before I can explain in case more Rykurians show up.”

Keith glanced at the alien bodies littering the square, then looked at Shiro’s Galra arm. He didn’t lower the stick.

So, he’d seen that. Shiro sighed and held out his arm, keeping it lowered in a non-threatening manner. “It’s a prosthetic. I was captured by aliens who took my arm and gave me this. Can’t say I like it but it does come in handy in a fight.”

“Aliens?” Keith ventured, tone sceptical, despite the alien bodies scattered around the square.

“Like I said, messed up situation.”

“Guys,” Pidge’s voice blared over the Green Lion’s intercom, “sorry to interrupt but Coran says the Rykurian ship is coming this way and the Govnex is with them!”

“ _No!_ Nope. Not doing that again!” Hunk cried, jerking to his feet. “We gotta go!”

“Keith,” Shiro tried to keep the edge out of his voice, “there are more of those monsters coming and they’re bringing something that might be even worse with them. I need you to come with us. You can keep that stick if it makes you feel better.”

Keith’s gaze went from Shiro to the dead Rykurians, to the other paladins, to the Green Lion, then back to the Rykurians before returning to Shiro. He was silent for so long that Shiro was debating the merits of just grabbing him when Keith finally nodded.

“Okay.”

Shiro smiled at him. “Atta, boy.” Getting to his feet, he called out, “Pidge, take us back to the lions.”

Unable to land in the small square, Pidge lowered the Green Lion as best she could, then opened its massive mouth. Hunk and Lance sprinted into it, but Shiro waited for Keith. “It’s okay,” he encouraged as Keith took a hesitant step forward, “I promise you’re safe with us.”

Keith clenched his jaw and tightened his grip on the stick, before walking slowly towards the lion. Shiro followed behind, careful not to crowd him. Lance and Hunk just stared as they climbed up into the Green Lion’s mouth. Shiro wasn’t sure how he was going to explain this to them. 

Most of it wasn’t even his story to tell.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all the awesome peeps who left comments and kudos. :)

_Planet Earth, 2090_ …

Shiro went back to the store, but the security cameras didn’t cover the end of the parking lot where his bike had been. He could do little else since he hadn’t gotten a good look at the other boys, and going to the police was out of the question in case it made more trouble for Keith. 

Because Shiro had a nasty feeling his visit had resulted in an unpleasant punishment for the boy. 

Resigning himself to the fact that he would be paying to fix the bike himself, he set about tracking down a replacement for the damaged wing mirror. Between that, catching up with friends and family, settling back into his life on Earth, and the ongoing attention from the Miranda mission, Shiro forgot about Keith.

Until a middle-school field trip to Galaxy Garrison. 

As the current face of the Garrison, Shiro was roped into giving the opening talk. He stood at the top of the room watching the bunch of seventh and eighth graders file in, many gawping at him as they did so. Shiro swallowed the nervousness he was feeling – they were just a bunch of kids! But it was still hard to get used to the attention.

Then he caught sight of a small, familiar figure – Keith. Shiro couldn’t stop himself from blinking in surprise, and he saw the kid’s eyes widen when he recognized Shiro.

“Alright, everyone,” one of the teachers called, “find a seat and be quiet. Officer Shirogane is going to tell you what they do here at Galaxy Garrison. Susan Burke, leave that solar system model alone. Brad Carson, knock it off and take your seat!”

By dint of ordering and directing, the teacher got them to take their seats. Shiro couldn’t help but notice that no one sat with Keith. 

“Okay, settle down,” the teacher called over the excited chatter. “Settle. _Down_. Ryan Brown, if you do that again I will put you in detention!”

The kids finally quieted and all eyes turned to Shiro. Stepping forward, he smiled at their expectant faces. “Hi. My name is Officer Shirogane, and I’m a fighter pilot here at Galaxy Garrison.”

“Do you really fly into space?” a boy interjected from the back of the room.

Shiro nodded. “I just got back from a mission to Miranda last month.”

“Did you ever fight any aliens?” another kid asked. “I mean, you’re a fighter pilot, right?”

Shiro laughed at that. “I’m pretty sure there’s no such thing as aliens. I’ve been into space nine times now and I’ve never seen one.”

Several ‘ooooooohs’ ran around the room and Shiro heard a voice saying, “Nine times? Awesome, man!”

“Okay, enough!” the teacher ordered. “Let Officer Shirogane tell you about the Garrison. There’ll be plenty of time for questions later.”

Shiro winced a little at the ‘plenty of time for questions later’ bit, but launched into the Garrison-approved spiel about what they did here. The kids listened in awed silence, some of them with eyes wide or mouth hanging open. 

Shiro’s gaze found Keith a few times, and though he looked interested in what Shiro was saying, he also appeared closed off, hunching in his chair with his arms crossed.

It didn’t take long to tell them about the Garrison. However, it took far longer to answer all the questions the kids threw at him. Shiro was just fielding what felt like the hundredth question when Commander Holt entered the room. Shiro instinctively saluted him, but the commander signalled for him to relax with an amused expression. 

“This is Commander Holt,” Shiro announced. “He’s one of the highest-ranking officers here at the Garrison.”

“And a scientist,” added the commander, joining Shiro at the front of the room. “Don’t forget that.” He smiled at the gathered middle-schoolers. “Did everyone enjoy Officer Shirogane’s talk?”

There was a chorus of ‘yes’ and the commander’s smile widened. “You know, Officer Shirogane is the best pilot here at Galaxy Garrison. Who’d like to see how he learned to fly?”

Every hand in the room went up except for Keith’s.

The commander laughed. “Well then, what’s say we bring you all down to the simulator and Officer Shirogane can give a demonstration, hmmm?”

The calls of ‘cool!’ were practically drowned out by the scraping of chairs as the kids scrambled to their feet.

Shiro followed the commander, feeling more relaxed. Public speaking wasn’t really his thing but this he could do. 

When the kids were settled in the viewing area, Shiro and Commander Holt entered the simulator.

“Let’s crank it up a notch,” Commander Holt whispered to Shiro. “Give the kids a real show, eh?”

Shiro grinned, putting the simulator to its most advanced level. He loved that the brilliant, respected Commander Holt knew how to have fun.

The sim started up. Shiro took on the role of pilot, while Commander Holt pulled double duty as engineer and communications officer. Shiro navigated the asteroid field, magnetic storms and ship malfunctions with ease. Having run this sim many times before, he knew it like the back of his hand.

When they finally stepped out, it was to cheers and applause. Commander Holt beamed. “You liked that?”

A resounding cry of ‘yeeeeees’ bellowed at them.

Commander Holt’s smile widened. “Who’d like to try it?”

Shiro tried not to react as a wave of hands shot up and cries of ‘Me! Me!’ rang out. He couldn’t _believe_ the commander was letting an untrained kid into the simulator! Iverson would have a conniption when he heard.

“How ‘bout this young man?” Commander Holt said, pointing to a tall boy at the front bouncing on his heels. The kid practically ran into the simulator.

Once Shiro had him settled in the pilot’s seat, he activated the training chair, which was stored beneath the floor for when junior cadets first started learning to fly. Switching the sim to its most basic level, Shiro pointed to the dashboard as he spoke. “This button starts the simulation. Use the throttle to move – push it away from you to fly, and pull it towards you to slow down or pull up. Left and right moves the ship…well, left and right. To take off, press this button and pull the throttle towards you. Got it?”

The kid nodded enthusiastically.

“Okay.” Shiro smiled. “Let’s begin.”

The flight lasted all of three seconds; the kid crashed on take-off.

“Don’t worry,” said Shiro, feeling bad at his crestfallen expression, “every cadet does that on their first attempt. Just try again.”

The kid did, and this time managed to hover for almost fifteen seconds in the air.

“Well done!” Shiro told him, as _simulation failed_ flashed on the screens. “That’s one second more than I managed on my first attempt.” He was lying through his teeth, but it was worth it when the disappointed expression dropped off the kid’s face. 

The boy was mobbed when he returned to his classmates, all of them clamouring to know what it felt like. Shiro hid a grin as the kid preened under the attention.

“Anyone else want to try?” asked Commander Holt, and a sea of hands waved at them again. He pointed to a blond girl on their left. “Okay, little lady, your turn.” 

The girl looked like she was going to pass out from delight. 

In the sim, Shiro gave the girl – Carly, she informed him – the same run through before she tried her hand at flying. She too crashed on take-off, but managed to keep the sim in motion for a full thirty-four seconds on her second attempt. She emerged from the simulator to cheers, her classmates gathering around her and patting her on the back.

Shiro caught sight of Keith’s face. He was staring at the simulation replaying on-screen with a look of intense focus that reminded Shiro of his days as a junior cadet, when he would study the replays to learn from his mistakes.

“Okay, we’ll have one more volunteer and then I’ll take you on a tour of the Garrison,” said Commander Holt. The hands that rose into the air waved frantically, each kid desperate to be chosen.

Shiro was surprised to see Keith’s hand rise too, although it was more tentative than his classmates’, and his face was resigned rather than hopeful.

“Shiro,” said Commander Holt, “why don’t you pick our last volunteer?”

Shiro didn’t hesitate; he pointed at Keith.

There was a brief silence before a round of whispers broke out. Keith made his way towards them, staring up at Shiro like he wasn’t quite sure what happened. It gave him the uncomfortable feeling that Keith didn’t get chosen a whole lot.

In the simulator, Shiro once more ran through the flight instructions, Keith listening avidly while he stared at the controls. When it was time for his simulation, Shiro braced himself for the familiar shudder of crashing on take-off, and was surprised when it didn’t happen. Keith got the simulator into the air and held it there for almost twelve seconds before crashing.

Shiro exchanged a quick glance with Commander Holt. Cadets rarely managed that on their first attempt. “That was great,” he told Keith. “Try again, but this time don’t lean so hard on the throttle once you’re in the air.”

Keith nodded and restarted the simulation. His face was tight with concentration as he took the simulator up and eased it forward. He kept his eyes fixed on the screen and guided the craft through the simulation. 

The seconds ticked by and Shiro couldn’t stop his eyes from widening as Keith kept the craft in the air. By the time they neared the two-minute mark, Shiro was stunned. No cadet had ever achieved this first time out in the simulator! He should know; he held the current record. 

An asteroid field appeared and Keith immediately pulled up, avoiding the first rock but hitting the second.

As _simulation failed_ flashed up on the screen, Shiro turned to Keith. “That was…have you _flown_ before?!”

Keith shook his head.

Shiro blinked and shook his own head. “Unbelievable. That was…wow, kid.”

“I’d say ‘wow’ covers it,” came Commander Holt’s voice from behind them, and Shiro glanced back to find the officer standing there, staring down at Keith with interest. “You’re a natural. I’ve never seen anyone do that during their first run in the sim. What’s your name, son?”

“Keith,” he replied slowly, almost suspicious. 

“Well, Keith, you should think about applying to Galaxy Garrison when you’re old enough. With talent like that, you’d make an outstanding pilot.”

Keith frowned a little, and didn’t respond.

Commander Holt gave a bemused smile. “Alright, let’s go back to your class.”

The sim opened and they were greeted by silence. Shiro noticed that none of the kids approached Keith when he joined them, instead staring at him like he’d suddenly sprouted purple fur. He wondered if it was shock at Keith’s performance or something else keeping them at bay.

As Commander Holt led the kids away to complete their tour, Keith angled his head towards Shiro and gave the smallest hint of a smile. Shiro couldn’t help but smile back, his mind going a mile a minute. 

He returned to his Garrison duties, but he couldn’t forget about Keith. The kid had talent, _serious_ talent, but he doubted there was anyone in his life to help him channel that talent.

He was still thinking about Keith and simultaneously trying to get some work done when Matt Holt showed up. “I hear your crown is in danger.”

“What?” said Shiro distractedly, staring at the Miranda holo-map he was creating, and trying to figure out why the constellations weren’t slotting in. 

“Ah, hello? The wonder kid who beat your record? Dad was raving about him to half the officer’s lounge. You should have seen Iverson’s face, dude looked like he was sucking a lemon!”

“Oh.” Shiro turned away from the screen. “You mean Keith.”

Matt nodded. “Was he really that good?”

“Better than good; kid was great.”

Matt cocked his head to one side. “You don’t seem very excited about it. Dad couldn’t have been more excited than if he’d proved the existence of alien life.”

“Aliens don’t exist, Matt.”

“It’s a big universe. Just because there are no other sentient beings in our galaxy doesn’t mean they don’t exist.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve never seen any.”

“Whoo! Someone’s off-form today.” Matt gave a teasing smile. “Jealous of a little kid, Shiro?”

Shiro rolled his eyes. “You know I’m not. That’s not the problem.”

“Then what is?”

“Remember I told you about the kids who busted up my bike a few weeks ago? And the one I caught?”

“Yea– no way! This is the _same_ Keith?!”

“Yup.”

Matt snorted in disbelief. “What are the odds?”

Shiro shrugged.

“But surely that’s not why you– hang on…” Matt’s expression became serious. “The asshole foster dad.”

Shiro nodded. “Somehow, I don’t see him encouraging Keith.”

Matt sighed. “Or paying the school fees. Shit, I see your point.”

“It’s just…it seems like such a waste, Matt. A kid that talented, and he probably has no hope of ever getting in to a program like this.”

“So that’s what’s got you bummed.”

Shiro nodded gloomily. Sometimes the universe just wasn’t fair.

“You know, Shiro, I never realized you were such a softie; all stressed about some kid you barely even know?”

Shiro gave him a withering look. “Don’t you have class?”

“Free period.”

“Then don’t you have studying to do?”

“Sadly, yes. But I was hoping you would help me procrastinate.”

Shiro snorted. “Not likely. You’re two months from finals, Matt.”

“Buzzkill. You sound like Dad. Alright, I am off to the dungeon–”

“The library is not a dungeon. You know, finals are really bringing out your melodramatic side.”

“Oh, come on! That place smells like mouldy feet and rotten eggs! Tell me that’s not a psychological torture method devised by the Garrison to break us down into good little soldiers.”

“And now the conspiracy theories. I seriously can’t wait for you to graduate and return to normal.”

“Normal, right. Like there’s a chance of that.” Matt shot him a sly grin. “You know, if you’re interested in finding out more about the wonder kid, they’ve got all the middle-schoolers holed up in Conference Room B for lunch.”

And with a wink he was gone, leaving Shiro staring after him. 

He tried to return to work, but gave up when Matt’s suggestion kept pinging at his brain. “Dammit, Matt,” he muttered, getting to his feet and heading for the conference rooms.

When Shiro reached Conference Room B, he slipped into the small observation room beside it. He didn’t want to approach Keith in front of his classmates without some clue of how he felt about the Garrison. The two-way mirror would allow him to observe the kids, but they wouldn’t be able to see him.

As luck would have it, Keith was sitting at a table by himself on the other side of the mirror, eating a sandwich. Shiro glanced around the room, something unpleasant squirming in his gut. None of the other kids were sitting by themselves. Didn’t this kid have _any_ friends?

He got his answer when three boys approached Keith. Shiro recognized the tallest one as the first kid who had flown the simulator. He stood behind Keith and the two other boys sat on either side of him. Keith tensed visibly. With a frown, Shiro flicked on the room’s microphone.

A hum of voices and laughter filled the observation room, making it hard to pick out a single voice, but Shiro tweaked and twiddled with the mic’s focus point until he heard Keith’s voice. “…didn’t cheat!”

“Yeah, you did! A loser like you wouldn’t know how to fly the sim without cheating.”

Shiro glanced back through the window. Keith was twisted around in his chair, scowling up at the tall boy, who then bent down and got in his face.

“I flew that sim too, so I know how hard it is. Even Carly said it was tough and her dad’s been teaching her to fly a plane. So, you definitely cheated…freak!” He poked Keith in the forehead with a single finger.

Keith flared up at once. “Of course you thought it was hard! You couldn’t even keep it in the air for fifteen seconds!”

The boy’s face went red and he shoved Keith, banging his head off the table. Keith was on his feet like a shot, – and man, that kid was quick! – toppling the chair. His fists were clenched and his face furious as he faced the taller boy.

Shiro decided to intervene when the other boys grabbed Keith’s arms, the tall boy lining up for a punch. However, before he could hit Keith, the smaller boy ducked and kicked out, catching him in the groin. He keeled over just as Keith yanked one of his arms free and punched another kid in the face.

“KEITH KOGANE!” a shrill voice rang out and Shiro spotted one of the teachers marching towards them, her face thunderous.

 _Where were you two minutes ago?_ Shiro wondered, dashing out of the observation room and towards the conference room.

When he got there, he found the teacher reprimanding Keith, whose fists were clenched as he glowered up at her. Strangely, he wasn’t trying to defend himself. Behind him, the boys who’d provoked him were insisting that he’d attacked them when they asked him about the simulator. 

“Excuse me,” Shiro called.

The teacher turned, her frown of anger slipping into one of confusion. “Officer Shirogane?”

Shiro stopped beside her. “Before you start punishing Keith, you should know what really happened. Those boys started it by calling him names. And that one,” Shiro pointed at the tall boy, who was still bent forward and grimacing with pain, “shoved Keith’s head into the table. When Keith stood up, they grabbed him and were going to hit him. It was three on one; he was only defending himself.”

“What do you know?” demanded the tall boy, straightening up. “You weren’t even here!”

Shiro turned a cold look on him and pointed to the mirror. “You see that? It’s two-way glass and I was on the other side. I saw everything. Not to mention we can always show your teacher the security feed.” 

Shiro pointed at the security camera above them and hoped no one called his bluff. This room was seldom used and the camera was only activated for meetings.

The boy’s eyes widened and he looked quickly at the teacher. “Ah…um…”

“Brad Carson!” she hissed. “You attacked another student?”

“Uh…we were…we were just fooling around,” he stammered, as he and the other boys shrank under her wrath. 

“One week’s detention! And as of right now, this trip is over for you boys. Back on the bus! You can wait for the others there.” 

Shooting dark looks at Shiro and Keith, they followed her, grumbling and complaining. 

Shiro turned to Keith. There was a small, red mark on his temple. “Are you okay?”

Keith nodded. “Fine.” He looked up at the camera, then back at Shiro. “The recording light’s not on.”

Shiro smiled. Kid was sharp. “I know that and you know that, but _they_ don’t know that.”

Keith gave Shiro a small, almost shy, smile. “Thanks.”

Shiro’s smile faded. “You know, if they’re bullying you, you really should tell your teacher.”

Keith’s smiled vanished and he looked at the ground, shrugging. “It’s fine. Brad was just sore that I beat him in the sim.”

Shiro sighed. Why didn’t he believe that? He decided not to push it. This kid seemed so closed off he might clam up completely if he did. “You did a great job today. You know, you smashed the simulator record for the longest first flight.”

Keith’s head came up and he stared at Shiro with wide eyes. “I broke a record?”

Shiro nodded. The kid’s eyes really were different, the larger than usual irises and purple colour giving them an almost alien look. He immediately wanted to smack himself for that observation. Matt was rubbing off on him; there was no such thing as aliens.

“How…how long was the record?” Keith ventured, voice soft.

“One minute and twenty-three seconds. It was my record.”

Keith tensed, like he expected a backlash.

But Shiro just held out his hand. “Well done, Keith. It was very impressive.”

Hesitantly, Keith took his hand and shook it.

Shiro tasted something sour when he spotted bruises on Keith’s wrist that he hadn’t noticed in the simulator. But before he could ask about them, one of the teachers called for the children’s attention. The talk by Dr. Reinhold, Galaxy Garrison’s top astronomer, was due to start.

“I’ve got to go,” said Keith quietly, pulling his hand away. “Thanks for letting me fly the simulator. It was cool.” He hesitated, before adding in an even softer voice, “I’m really sorry about your bike.”

Then he walked away, leaving Shiro alone with the bad taste in his mouth.

oOo

Shiro glanced at Keith, wondering if he remembered that scene in the Garrison as clearly as he did. He knew the boy had to remember it because he had called him ‘Shiro’ back in the square, and that hadn’t come till later.

“Guys, brace yourselves for landing, we’ve reached the other lions,” Pidge announced suddenly.

The Green Lion landed with a bump and Shiro reached for Keith to steady him because the boy was too short to reach the metal handles jutting out from the Green Lion’s upper jaw. Shiro had felt it best they remain in the Green Lion’s jaw to allow for a swift exit upon reaching the other lions, but the trip had been uncomfortable, which was in part down to the other paladins’ blatant curiosity.

Hunk at least had done a reasonable job of hiding his, but Lance couldn’t seem to stop himself from darting glances at Shiro and Keith. At one point, he had stared at Keith for so long that the boy scowled at him and raised his stick, forcing Shiro to shake his head warningly at Lance.

Thankfully, the blue paladin had heeded him and stopped staring.

As the Green Lion opened its mouth, Shiro pointed to the Black Lion and addressed Keith, “Do you want to come with me or stay here?”

Keith surveyed the Black Lon, then watched Hunk and Lance running towards theirs, before looking back at Shiro. “Go with you.”

Shiro smiled. “Alright, let’s go.”

They raced over to the Black Lion, Keith pausing for a few shocked seconds as she lowered her shields, before hurrying inside. Once in the cockpit, Shiro turned to Keith. “There isn’t a second chair, so I want you to hold on to mine when we’re in the air, okay?”

Keith nodded.

“There should be a medical kit behind that panel over there,” Shiro continued, pointing as he sat. “Why don’t you get it out and clean those wounds?”

“I’m fine,” Keith replied, not looking at him.

“Keith,” Shiro said, keeping his tone gentle, “those look nasty. I’d rather they were looked after until we can get you back to the castle and fix you up properly.”

“I’m _fine_.” 

Shiro knew better than to push him. 

The Black Lion rose into the air, following the others in the direction of the castle. They were almost there when a massive battleship appeared and began firing at them.

“It’s the Rykurians!” Allura cried.

“Take them down!” Shiro ordered. 

The lions flew into action, circling the battleship and firing at it. Shiro was dismayed to see their fire just bounce off, even though the ship didn’t appear to have a shield. He was busy dodging the battleship’s blasts and looking for a weak point when suddenly, he felt something powerful, something _old_ , slam into the black lion and knock it sideways. Shiro was almost toppled from his seat, while Keith crashed into the side console, dropping the stick he’d been clutching. It rolled away beneath the dashboard.

“Keith! Are you okay?” Shiro gritted out, struggling to put his lion upright again.

“Uh-huh,” the boy huffed, getting back to his feet.

“Hang on tight to my chair,” Shiro ordered. “Things are going to get rough.” He steered the Black Lion back around and saw a green figure floating there, its hair waving softly behind it. 

_The Govnex_ , Shiro realized.

“Guys, we’ve got company!” he warned, firing at the Govnex. But his blasts just ricocheted off, and Shiro wondered if the Govnex was the reason they couldn’t hit the Rykurian ship.

“It’s her!” Lance yelled.

“Paladins!” Allura’s voice cried. “Do not engage the Govnex!”

“I don’t think she’s giving us a choice!” Lance pointed out, the Blue Lion blasting back at the Govnex after it shot a bolt of white lightning at it. The Govnex deflected the attack with ease.

“No!” Allura insisted. “You have to retreat. We cannot defeat it without Voltron.”

“That’s gonna be a problem considering our red paladin is currently pint-sized!” Hunk proclaimed.

“And retreating’s not an option,” Shiro added as another Rykurian battleship appeared behind them. “We’re pinned. We have no choice but to fight.”

They battled for several minutes, managing to score a few shots at the Rykurian battleships, but they were completely unable to touch the Govnex. Meanwhile, each blow it landed to a lion seemed to weaken it. Shiro could feel his own lion’s weariness tugging in his head.

“There has to be some way to take this thing down without Voltron!” Lance cried, dodging another shot from the Govnex.

“Lance is right,” said Shiro, ripping up part of one battleship’s hull with his lion’s claws. “Allura, what are its weaknesses?”

“None that I know of. These things are ancient and what little was known about them has long since been lost.”

“Well, we need to think of something,” Shiro said, jerking his lion out of the path of one of the ships’ blasts. “We can’t just keep dodging fire like this!”

Suddenly, the Rykurians began firing indiscriminately at the lions, forcing them into a tight circle to defend each other’s backs, while the Govnex wove a ball of blue lightning between its fingertips.

“Uh, guys,” said Hunk nervously, “what’s it doing?”

Before anyone had time to guess, the blue lightning exploded outwards, slamming into the lions with such force that it seared through the metal and into their occupants. Shiro’s head almost exploded with agony and he could hear the other paladins scream. Keith dropped to his knees beside him, head clutched in his hands.

The world wavered before Shiro, making him feel like he was going to tilt right off the chair. 

_No!_ he thought fiercely, shaking his head and trying to clear his mind. _We can do this! We have to – too many people are depending on Voltron!_

“Guys,” Shiro managed to choke out, voice hoarse with pain, “get away from each other! We need to put some distance between ourselves so that thing can’t hit us all at once! Pidge, activate the Green Lion’s cloaking device to hide you and Allura!”

Dodging blasts from the battleships, the lions separated. The Govnex shrieked and pelted after the Yellow Lion, throwing a bolt of blue lightning at it that made the Yellow Lion jerk in mid-air.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Shiro growled, hearing Hunk’s cry of pain. He activated his own lion’s canon and fired directly into the Govnex’s back, hitting it full on.

Watching the Govnex writhe in what appeared to be pain, understanding dawned on Shiro. “Guys, you can hurt this thing when its focus isn’t on you! It can only deflect your blasts when it knows they’re coming! Hunk, Lance – keep the battleships occupied. Pidge, I’ll draw the Govnex’s attention and you come at it from behind.”

“On it!” replied Lance.

“Shiro, are you sure about this?” asked Pidge.

“No. But without Voltron it’s all we’ve got.”

Shiro flew towards the Govnex at top speed, pulling a hard right when the thing blasted more of the blue lightning at him. Looping over it, he dived down, firing indiscriminately. The Govnex blocked his attacks just as another bolt of blue lightning shot towards them. Unable to pull out of its path in time, the strike shuddered through the Black Lion.

Pain erupted inside Shiro’s skull again and he heard Keith cry out. His stomach churned. He shouldn’t have been so reckless while Keith was in here. He was only a kid.

Shaking his head to clear it, Shiro barely managed to jerk his lion away from another lightning bolt. Flying in a zig-zag pattern, Shiro fired multiple shots at the Govnex, forcing the thing to direct all its attention towards deflecting them and finally allowing Pidge to hit it from behind. 

The Govnex shrieked, writhing furiously.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shiro caught a glimpse of the castle with its shields up. Coran had joined the battle and was providing some much-needed aid to Lance and Hunk – one of the battleships was finally going down.

Refocusing his attention on the Govnex, Shiro blasted at it again for all he was worth. The thing was clearly weaker now, because he managed to score a hit from the frontal assault. 

But this time, the Govnex didn’t stop to writhe. Instead, it sent an enormous ball of blue light spinning towards them. It rammed into the Black Lion and Shiro’s whole world lit up white with agony, before fading into black.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks to everyone who left comments and kudos. It is very much appreciated. Hope everyone is looking forward to Friday as much as I am! :D

_Planet Earth, 2090_ …

After the field trip, Shiro was invited to the middle school to give a talk on being a fighter pilot and what the training involved. 

Busy with work and the findings from the Miranda mission, Shiro didn’t exactly have the time to spare, but he wanted to find out more about Keith so he agreed.

The kids were excited to see Shiro again – although there was some scowling from the boys he had landed in detention – and he ended up enjoying his talk on the different career tracks for an astro-explorer. Somehow, it was easier to answer the questions on that than the innerworkings of the Garrison. Shiro supposed it was because he’d never really been one for politics.

It took a while to spot Keith in the mass of bodies thronging the auditorium, but eventually Shiro spotted him, tucked away to the side. He was sitting beside another boy, leaning away with his arms crossed. Shiro didn’t think he’d ever seen a kid with such closed-off body language.

He hoped to speak with him afterwards, but was surrounded by excited kids looking for his autograph as soon as he finished answering questions. By the time the teachers shooed the kids away, there was no sign of Keith. Shiro had to bite down his disappointment.

“Thank you for that talk, Officer Shirogane,” said Mrs. Hanley, the teacher who had invited him to the school. “Would you like some coffee or something to eat? We’ve set out a lunch in the staff room.”

“Thank you, but I’m afraid I’ve got to get back to the Garrison.”

She nodded. “I can imagine how busy you are after the Miranda mission. We really appreciate you taking time out to talk to the kids – they’ve talked of nothing else but being fighter pilots since the field trip last week.”

Shiro seized on the opportunity to ask questions. “What about Keith? Has he said anything? You know, Commander Holt wasn’t joking when he suggested Keith join the Garrison once he was old enough. You don’t often see talent like his.”

A slight frown appeared on her face. “I haven’t heard him mention the field trip once. Keith doesn’t talk much.”

“What about to the other kids? Has he said anything to them?”

She pursed her lips for a second before replying. “Keith doesn’t exactly mix well with his peers. He’s what you might call…a problem child.”

Shiro frowned. “In what way?”

“Oh, the usual: not doing his homework, fighting, disruptive behaviour. He has a tendency towards lying as well, but he’s so good at it that it’s hard to catch him in the act.”

Shiro thought back to the stammering kid in the parking lot whose best attempt at a fake name was his own address. Not exactly the master liar his teacher seemed to think. “Do you have Keith for many classes?” 

“English and Social Studies. He’s a smart boy, but he doesn’t even _try_ to apply himself. I’m sorry, Officer Shirogane, but I honestly don’t think he’d be suited to the military discipline of the Garrison.”

Something ugly swooped in Shiro’s stomach when he realized the woman didn’t like Keith very much, and was basing her observations accordingly. He forced a smile. “I see. Well, thank you for being so honest with me, Mrs. Hanley. I appreciate it.”

She shook his hand, and after exchanging a few small pleasantries, Shiro left. 

He had almost reached his Garrison vehicle when a voice called, “Officer Shirogane, wait!”

Shiro turned and recognized the male teacher from the field trip. “Mr…Summers, right?”

“Please, call me Jeff,” the man replied. “I’m sorry to ambush you out here, but I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation with Mrs. Hanley and I just wanted to set the record straight.”

Shiro raised an eyebrow. “About?”

“Keith. He isn’t a bad kid. At least, not in the way Mrs. Hanley implied. Yes, he has a history of fighting, but I honestly think most of that is because he’s reacting to the other kids. Keith’s impulsive and it gets him into trouble, but I don’t think he goes looking for it. If anything, he’s one of the quietest kids I’ve ever taught.”

“You said you think he’s reacting to the other kids,” Shiro said. “What did you mean?”

“Keith is…different. It’s hard to put a finger on how, he just is. He’s also a loner who actively avoids his classmates, making him look like he thinks he’s above them. Not to mention that his social skills are a little lacking – he sometimes misinterprets certain exchanges because he takes things so literally.” 

The teacher grimaced. “Kids that age are like piranhas; one whiff of blood and they move in for the kill, and Keith makes himself a target just by isolating himself. Problem is, he’s a foster kid. He’s been bounced around the system so much that I think he’s stopped trying to make friends. What’s the point if he’s only going to be moved again?” 

“So, you’re saying he doesn’t have any friends because the other kids pick on him?”

Jeff nodded. “And it makes things worse when Keith reacts with violence because it prompts people to view him as a problem kid instead of someone who needs help. That defiant expression he gets doesn’t help either; it gets everyone’s back up. Nine times out of ten his teachers don’t believe him when he says it’s not his fault, and the other kids know that.”

“And…you don’t think Keith is a problem kid?”

“Actually, I do. Just not in the same way as everyone else. Keith’s problems aren’t down to a bad attitude; I have him for science and he’s always a great kid in my class. His problems stem from the lack of a single stabilizing influence in his life.”

“Sounds like you could be a stabilizing influence for him,” Shiro suggested.

Jeff shook his head. “I only have Keith for one subject and it’s pretty hard to look out for him with such little contact time. The best I can do is keep the other kids off his back when he’s in my lab, and try to convince the other teachers to give him a break. Besides, I’m still a teacher. Keith would never fully trust me. All that stuff you’ve seen on TV about kids forging ‘special bonds’ with ‘cool’ teachers? It’s bullcrap. They can like and respect us at most, but they’re never going to see us as friends. And to be honest, Officer Shirogane, I think what Keith really needs is a friend.”

Shiro studied the teacher. “You seem to know an awful lot about the situation.”

“This isn’t the first time I’ve worked with a kid like Keith.” Jeff’s face was sad. “I don’t want to fail this time.”

Shiro was troubled by that, but also a little confused. “Why are you talking to me about this?”

“Because I saw Keith talking to you at the Garrison last week. He’s been at this school for more than three months and I’m pretty sure he’s never spoken to another kid or teacher for as long as he spoke to you. And what’s more, that’s the first time I’ve seen him smile.”

“Are you serious?” Shiro couldn’t wrap his head around that. What kind of twelve-year-old doesn’t smile?

“Completely. Look, Officer Shirogane, I know this isn’t my place, but I really think Keith would benefit from having someone like you around, so if the Garrison offers some kind of mentoring program…”

“They don’t. At least, not outside of their own cadets.”

“Damn.” Jeff’s shoulders dropped. “I was kind of hoping that’s why you were asking about Keith.”

Shiro didn’t know what to say. 

“You know…” the teacher continued slowly after a moment, “there are…community programs where vetted individuals can mentor problem kids, kind of like a Big Brother program.”

Shiro shook his head. “It’s against Garrison regulations.”

“It’s against Garrison regulations to get involved with a community outreach program?” said Jeff sceptically.

“It’s against Garrison regulations to get involved in any program where a vulnerable individual might become overly reliant on an officer who spends months at a time in space,” Shiro corrected.

“Right. Sorry. Over stepped there. And I shouldn’t be involving you with a kid you barely even know anyway. I’m just concerned about him.”

Shiro bit his lip. He was concerned too.

oOo

“Shiro! Keith!”

“Shiro! _Shiro!_ ” 

Yells dragged Shiro back to the present. Head splitting, he groaned, eyes blinking open to reveal the darkened interior of his lion’s cockpit.

“Are you guys okay?! One of you answer us! SHIRO!”

Pidge. That was Pidge’s voice.

“I’m…here,” Shiro croaked. Every inch of him ached. 

“Don’t do that to us again!” the green paladin cried. 

Shiro blinked once more, focusing on the sky beyond the cockpit window. Lance was now aiding Pidge in battling the Govnex, while Hunk and Coran were working to bring down the second Rykurian ship.

“Shiro,” came Allura’s voice, “are you both alright?”

Putting a hand up to his spinning head, Shiro looked around for Keith and spotted him facedown on the floor. A burst of panic stabbed him and Shiro slipped out of his seat and fumbled for a pulse, heaving a sigh of relief when he found one.

“Shiro?” repeated Allura anxiously. 

“Here,” Shiro replied. “Keith’s out cold, but I think he’ll be okay; his pulse is strong.”

“What about you?” demanded Allura. 

“My head’s pretty rattled,” Shiro admitted, checking his lion and finding no response. “And my lion’s dead in the water.”

“Great!” Lance interjected. “So now we’re down the Red _and_ Black Lion!”

“We’re doomed!” Hunk wailed.

“We’re not doomed,” said Shiro firmly, doing his best to ignore the throbbing in his head. “You’ve already taken down one ship so just focus on taking down the other. Lance, Pidge, you guys tag team the Govnex – one of you keep it occupied while the other attacks from behind. If it refocuses its attention on whoever is behind it, just switch places. You guys can do this. I know you can.”

“Roger,” Pidge responded.

“Let’s do this!” cried Lance.

Hunk just groaned in response.

Watching the others battle made Shiro feel helpless. He should be out there with his team. At least Hunk and Coran seemed to be having some luck with the battleship, scoring several hits and slowly gaining the upper hand. Unfortunately, Pidge and Lance were having trouble with the Govnex; now wise to the paladins’ ploy, the creature was focusing all its efforts on shielding itself.

Shiro tried to coax his lion back, but she wasn’t responding and her presence was faint in his mind. That last strike had really done a number on her. Shiro guessed she had put all her efforts into shielding him and Keith, and shuddered to think what the blast would have done to them if she hadn’t.

Suddenly, Hunk’s lion scored a devastating hit to the battleship, causing a massive explosion to take out the entire starboard. The ship plummeted from the sky, flames devouring it. Shiro felt a rush of hope at the sight. They could win this!

Hunk and Coran joined the battle against the Govnex just as Keith groaned. Shiro whipped around. “Keith?” he said anxiously, dropping beside him once more. “Are you okay?”

“Wh-what?” said Keith faintly, pushing himself up onto his hands and knees. 

“Are you okay?”

Keith put a hand to his head and blinked up at him blearily. “I…what? Shiro?”

“Yes. Do you remember what happened?”

Keith glanced around the cockpit, then scowled. “Guess it wasn’t a dream.”

“Sorry, buddy, still real.” Shiro helped him to his feet. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.”

He repressed a sigh. Keith was pale and his face was tight with pain. Unfortunately, Shiro had learned a long time ago that ‘fine’ held many shades in Keith’s vernacular. “You’re still getting checked out when this is all over.”

Keith ignored that, instead glancing out the window. “Is that…a flying castle?”

“The Castle of Lions,” Shiro answered, watching anxiously as the others circled and blasted the Govnex. He couldn’t tell if they were winning because the creature seemed to be in a wild state of fury, its hair now whipping behind it as it pelted ball after ball of blue lightning at the lions. 

Then something troubling occurred to Shiro. “Allura, do you think we can capture this thing?”

“ _Capture it?!_ ” Lance shrieked. “Shiro, we can barely fight this thing!”

“Lance is right,” said Allura. “Capturing a creature this powerful with Voltron would have been practically impossible, but without Voltron–” 

“And if we don’t capture it,” Shiro interrupted, “we might never get our red paladin back to _form_ Voltron.”

There was silence from the others.

“Shiro,” said Allura finally, “capturing this thing is not an option, but we can explore other options to get our red paladin back.”

Shiro frowned. “Why don’t I like the sound of that?”

“What’s a paladin?” asked Keith, watching Shiro with narrowed eyes.

“I’ll explain when we’re all safely back at the castle, okay?” replied Shiro, trying to smile reassuringly. 

Keith’s gaze narrowed even more, but he didn’t get the chance to argue because at that moment, the Govnex managed to locate the cloaked Green Lion and hit it with a blast of blue lightning. 

Allura and Pidge’s cries echoed across the comms as the Green Lion became visible. 

“Allura! Pidge! Are you okay?” Shiro shouted over Hunk and Lance’s frantic yells.

“Ow,” Pidge groaned.

“We are…alright,” replied Allura shakily. “But the Green Lion is now out of commission as well.”

“Okay, now we’re down _three_ lions…shouldn’t we, maybe, retreat?” suggested Hunk nervously.

Shiro rubbed his aching head, unsure what to do next. He was fairly certain that thing wouldn’t give them the chance to retreat, not to mention that Shiro hated the idea of letting something this powerful and dangerous get away, but he wasn’t sure how they could defeat it with only two lions and the castle. Especially since it now seemed wise to their ploy of tag-teaming. 

“Hang on!” cried Lance suddenly. “I think my lion knows what to do.”

“Well, whatever you’re gonna do, do it fast!” Hunk pleaded, the Yellow Lion barely dodging a blast of blue lightning.

“Okay, but I’m gonna need you guys to distract it,” said Lance, firing at the Govnex.

Hunk groaned. “We’re down three lions, Lance! When you say ‘guys’ you mean me, right?”

“Negative, Number Two,” came Coran’s voice. “You and I will be in this battle together.”

“No offence, Coran, but that doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“Guys!” Lance yelled, the Blue Lion dodging a massive burst of lightning. “Distract! _Distract!_ ”

“On it!” replied Hunk.

Shiro watched as the Yellow Lion and the castle converged on the Govnex, blasting it for all they were worth. Meanwhile, the Blue Lion retreated to a safe distance and seconds later, a slender rifle materialized over its right shoulder. 

“Hunk, move!” Lance yelled, as the gun fired a pale blue beam.

The Yellow Lion dove just in time to avoid the beam, and it hit the Govnex square in the face. The creature went rigid, its whole body glowing an electric blue. Shiro held his breath as the beam got brighter and the Govnex started to shake. Suddenly, the blue beam shattered, sending shards of what looked like glass raining down from the sky.

And then the Govnex _screamed_ – a shrill, piercing sound that filled Shiro’s ears, making them hurt from the sheer volume. Beside him, Keith clapped his hands over his ears and Shiro was tempted to do the same. He could see now why Lance had initially thought it was a banshee. 

“Lance! What’s happening? What’s going on?” Hunk yelled, when the Govnex stopped screaming.

“I don’t know, but–”

Lance’s reply was drowned out by the Govnex screaming again. And this time, the pain was so sharp that Shiro was forced to cover his ears to block out the sound. He worried that it was another form of attack until suddenly the creature stopped, then turned and fled.

“Uh…what was that?” ventured Hunk. “Lance, what did you do?”

“I…don’t know.” The blue paladin sounded confused. “Should we go after it?”

“No,” said Shiro tiredly.

“We’re letting something that dangerous get away?” asked Pidge.

“We have no choice,” replied Shiro. “We’re down three lions and following that thing might lead us straight to more Rykurians. We’re in no shape for another battle.”

“Shiro is right,” said Allura. “We should return to the castle.”

“Which we’re going to need help with,” Shiro added. “Black still isn’t responding.”

“No worries, Shiro,” said Hunk, as the Yellow Lion flew towards them. “I’ve got you.”

“We also require assistance,” said Allura.

“Allow me, Princess,” Lance’s voice sounded smug. “Anything for a beautiful damsel in distress.”

“Lance…” warned Shiro, just as the Yellow Lion grasped the Black Lion in its claws.

Lance huffed before retrieving the Green Lion.

Within minutes, all the lions were safely in the castle. Shiro turned to Keith. “Come on, let’s get those arms taken care of.”

Keith took a step back. “Not until you tell me what’s going on.”

Shiro sighed. “It’s a long story. I can tell it while I’m patching you up.”

“No.” Keith crossed his arms, then winced, but stubbornly kept the stance.

Shiro squatted down, hiding his frustration. He was tired and sore from the Govnex’s blasts, not to mention worried about the powerful creature they had just allowed to escape. And then there was what had happened to the people of Dovari. Teenage Keith would have understood the need for action without arguments. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a teenage Keith. This was a twelve-year-old kid with trust issues, using defensiveness to hide how freaked out he really was.

“Keith,” said Shiro gently, “I know you’re hurting. I am too after that last blast, which is why we need to go to the med bay. I have to be ready in case that creature returns.”

Keith’s crossed arms loosened a little. “That…hurt you too?”

Shiro nodded. “And I know this is all a lot to process, but I promise, I will explain everything once we’re in the med bay, okay?”

Keith bit his lip before nodding. “Okay.”

“Atta boy.” Shiro smiled. “Follow me.”

He led Keith out of the Black Lion, pausing long enough to pat her giant jaw. “You did good, girl. I’ll get Hunk to check you over when he’s finished with his lion.”

Keith stared at him. “You talk to your ship?”

“The lions aren’t ships, exactly.”

Keith glanced up at the Black Lion. “What are they?”

“That’s part of the very long story I’m going to tell you,” said Shiro, beckoning for Keith to follow him. 

With a final glance at the Black Lion, Keith did so.

They walked in silence towards the med bay, Shiro stealing glances at Keith. His arms were still bleeding and he was limping, but the boy seemed oblivious to both as he openly stared in amazement at the castle. 

When they reached the med bay, Allura, Coran and the other paladins were already there. Coran was tending to Hunk, whose side was bleeding a little, while Pidge held an Altean gel pack to her head. Lance was rhapsodizing about his lion’s new ability and Allura was quizzing Coran about the energy he’d located on Dovarian. They fell silent the instant Shiro and Keith appeared.

Keith froze in the doorway. 

“It’s okay,” said Shiro in a low voice. “They’re friends.”

Side-eyeing Shiro, Keith didn’t move.

“You can trust them,” Shiro insisted, placing a hand between his shoulder blades and giving him the gentlest of nudges. 

“Ah, Shiro, Keith,” greeted Coran cheerfully as they approached, “we’ll have you both cleaned up in three snaps of a balwoq’s teeth.”

Keith blinked. “Three…what?” 

“Three snaps of a balwoq’s teeth,” repeated Coran. “Quizneck, those arms look painful. Not to worry, a few vargas in a healing pod will have you good as new.” 

Coran activated a pod and Keith’s eyes widened when it rose out of the floor. Then Coran leaned down and peered at Keith. “Hmmmm,” he mused, stroking his moustache, “I’m not sure if we have a cryo-suit small enough to fit you. Guess those clothes will have to do. Alright, in you go.” He gestured towards the pod.

Keith immediately took a step back. “I’m not getting in there!”

“Oh, not to worry, young Keith,” said Coran, smiling, “it’s perfectly safe.”

“I said I’m not getting in there!” snapped Keith, backing up into Shiro, who chanced placing a calming hand on his shoulder.

“Now, Keith–” Coran began.

“Coran,” Shiro interrupted, “if Keith doesn’t want to get in the pod, he doesn’t have to.”

“But, Shiro,” the Altean protested, “his arms…he should be in a pod.”

“Not if he doesn’t want to,” said Shiro. “We can clean those wounds the old-fashioned way.”

“If you’re sure.” Coran still looked dubious.

“I am.” Shiro gave Keith’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze before pointing to a chair. “Why don’t you sit down?”

There was silence as Keith made his way over to the chair. 

“Coran,” Shiro turned back to him, “do you have any of those Altean painkillers?”

“Yes, but…” Coran leaned towards him and whispered, “isn’t he a bit young?”

“Not for him, for me. That last blast from the Govnex really scrambled my head,” Shiro admitted. 

“Are you alright?” demanded Allura, as Coran went to retrieve the painkillers.

“I’m fine, just sore. What about you guys? Hunk, you’re bleeding. And Pidge, what happened to your head?”

“Bashed it off Green’s dashboard during that last strike,” she answered, still holding the Altean gel pack to her temple. “It’s fine. Just a bump.”

“And the Rykurians managed to get their claws into Hunk,” Lance added, gesturing to the yellow paladin, who was looking decidedly paler than usual.

“You okay, Hunk?” Shiro asked.

“Oh, yeah, sure…for someone who just found out alien cannibals are a thing! Allura, a little heads-up would have been nice,” Hunk complained.

“I am sorry, Hunk,” she said. “But I never expected to encounter them here. Usually they stay on a galaxy’s fringes, only attacking small settlements. They weren’t something I had planned on dealing with until we had defeated Zarkon.”

“I’m afraid they’re going to have to be dealt with now, Princess,” said Coran, returning with a water pouch and some lilac pills. “With a Govnex on their side, they’ve become almost as much of a threat as Zarkon and the Galra Empire.” 

He held out the water and pills to Shiro, who took them gratefully. “Thanks, Coran.”

“Okay, so we’re going to have to deal with alien cannibals and a green space witch,” Lance spoke up loudly. “Got that. But can we do it _after_ we’ve dealt with the elephant in the room?!” He gestured in clear frustration towards Keith. 

Every head turned towards the boy. Keith hunched in his chair, narrowing his eyes and pulling his arms towards himself protectively.

“Lance kinda has a point,” said Hunk. “Shouldn’t getting our red paladin back be our first priority?”

“Actually, our first priority will be explaining to Keith exactly what’s going on,” said Shiro, moving over to him.

“And patching up those arms,” Coran added. “Although I really think he should be in a pod.”

“No pod,” said Shiro firmly, sitting beside Keith. He had a very strong suspicion about why Keith refused to go into the pod. “Keith, I’m going to explain everything that’s going on, but first I’m going to ask you just one question, okay?”

Keith tensed as the others gathered around them, but nodded at Shiro.

Shiro gave him a reassuring smile. “What’s the last thing you remember before seeing Lance on that planet?” He pointed towards the blue paladin.

Keith looked at Lance, then back at Shiro. “Going to bed.”

“Going to bed where?” Shiro prodded gently.

Keith frowned. “At the Holchecks, why?” 

Suspicion confirmed. “How long have you known the Holchecks?” asked Shiro.

Keith’s frown deepened. “You said one question, that’s three.”

“It’s the last one, I promise,” said Shiro, before repeating, “How long have you known the Holchecks?”

“You know how long; you dropped me off there three weeks ago!” Keith’s expression faltered as he took in Shiro’s scar and white hair again. “It…wasn’t three weeks ago, was it?”

Shiro shook his head, relieved that at least now he had an idea of where Keith’s head was at. It certainly explained why Keith had trusted him so quickly.

Keith glanced at the others before looking back at Shiro. “How long ago was it?” 

“This is going to be hard to understand, Keith,” Shiro warned. “It happened four years ago.”

Keith’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

“How have you known him for four years?” Lance demanded.

“That’s not relevant right now,” answered Shiro, giving them all a serious look before turning back to Keith. “Are you okay?”

Keith stared down at his own body in bewilderment. “But I’m…how am I…” He looked helplessly at Shiro, clearly struggling to understand where four years of his life had gone.

Shiro gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. He knew how devastating it was to discover you’d lost an entire period of your life. “You should be sixteen. Remember that green space witch we battled? The Govnex?”

Keith nodded.

“Well, she blasted you and somehow turned you back into your twelve-year-old self.”

“Why?” Keith whispered, face pale.

“Perhaps this story might be best told from the beginning?” Allura suggested. “Starting with how all of you ended up out in space?”

Shiro nodded. “Good idea.”

Coran crouched down in front of them, holding a med-kit. “While Shiro tells that story, will you let me look at your arms?”

“They’re fine,” Keith insisted, pulling back from him. Coran looked at Shiro for help.

“Coran’s not going to make you go into a pod,” Shiro told Keith. “But he’s the best qualified here to fix up your arms.”

Keith stared at Coran with narrowed eyes, before hesitantly holding out his arms.

Finally getting a clear look at the arms, Shiro winced at how raw and painful the wounds looked. He could also see a few fresh scars beneath the Rykurian scratches and hoped no one asked about those. He wasn’t sure how a teenage Keith would feel about the team discovering his past. It was something he was almost obsessive about concealing.

Then Shiro realized the two longest gashes would require stitching. “Coran, do you have any painkillers suitable for Keith? It’s going to hurt if you stitch those up without giving him something.”

“Stitch?” repeated Coran, looking startled. “What are you talking about?”

“His arms,” replied Shiro, pointing. “Those two need stitches.”

“What are…stitches?” asked Allura.

“Well, Princess, it sounds to me like he’s suggesting we sew Keith’s skin together.” Coran laughed. “What an idea.”

“That _is_ what stitches are,” said Shiro. “On Earth, certain wounds have to be stitched closed to help them heal.”

Both Alteans looked horrified.

“Humans sew their skin together?” cried Allura. “That’s barbaric!”

“It works pretty well on Earth,” Pidge pointed out.

“Yes, well…” Coran coughed and took a clear tube filled with turquoise gel out of the med-kit. “Nobody here will be stitching Keith’s skin. Alteans use a special poxic to bond wounds together in the event of not being able to get to a healing pod. Far gentler and less messy than…stitches.” Coran shuddered.

“What about painkillers?” Shiro wanted to know.

“There is opiknum in the poxic,” Coran responded. “That should ease any pain young Keith is feeling.” He smiled at Keith, who didn’t look altogether reassured. 

Shiro patted Keith’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. Coran knows what he’s doing.”

Keith bit his lip, but nodded, lowering his arms to rest on his legs. “So, the story?” he asked, as Coran began swiping the Altean equivalent of antiseptic wipes over his arms.

Shiro sighed. “Well, it all started when I was chosen as the pilot of the Kerberos mission…”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who's commented and left kudos so far. I really appreciate it.
> 
> Also, is everyone as excited as me about Season 3 tomorrow?!! :D :D How am I ever going to sleep tonight!

_Planet Earth, 2090_ …

Despite the voice in his head warning him not to get involved, Shiro returned to Keith’s house the next day.

He was expecting Greg, and was surprised when a shockingly thin woman with wispy hair answered the door. “Yes?” she said, voice soft, almost a whisper. Her skin looked like it had the consistency of paper and Shiro wondered if she were ill.

“Good afternoon, ma’am. My name is Takashi Shirogane, and I’m an officer with Galaxy Garrison.”

“Is there a problem?” she asked.

Shiro shook his head and smiled. “No. I’m actually here about Keith.”

“He’s not in trouble, is he?”

“Not at all,” Shiro reassured her. “Keith had a school trip to the Garrison last week and he was chosen to fly our simulator. He actually showed a lot of talent and I was wondering if I could speak with you about that.”

“I don’t know…my husband isn’t here right now. He’s at work.”

“Then maybe I could talk to you?”

She looked anxiously around her, like someone might be listening. “I…I’m not supposed to let anyone in the house when he’s not here.”

 _And that doesn’t sound controlling in the slightest._ Shiro did his best not to scowl. “We could talk here,” he suggested gently. “Is Keith home?”

“He’s upstairs.”

“Maybe you should call him?”

She chewed on her lip for several seconds before shaking her head. “I– I’d better not. Perhaps you could come back when my husband is here?”

Shiro’s heart sank, but it was obvious that arguing would only upset the already nervous woman. “Of course. When would be a good time?”

She looked startled. “I don’t…I’m not sure. M-maybe you could call first?”

Shiro sighed and pulled a card out of his pocket. “Why don’t you have your husband contact me?”

Relief crawled over her face to have the decision taken out of her hands. “I’ll do that,” she said, taking the card. “Goodbye, Officer.”

The door was closed gently in his face. Shiro sighed. It lacked the violence of last time, but these people still needed a major lesson in doorway etiquette. 

Disheartened, he trudged back to his bike. He sat on it and was just about to put his helmet on when a soft voice said, “Officer Shirogane?”

Shiro turned to find Keith standing there. “Keith! How–?”

“I heard you talking to Kara,” he explained, glancing towards the house. “And I snuck out the back.” 

“You probably shouldn’t have done that,” Shiro chided gently.

“I know. I can’t stay long.” He narrowed his eyes at Shiro. “Why do you want to talk to Greg and Kara about me?”

Straight to the point. Shiro was surprised the kid was so direct, but figured he should be direct too. “Because I’ve never seen anyone with your talent before. I want to talk your foster parents into letting you apply to the Garrison in three years’ time…if that’s what you want.”

Keith shrugged. “Doesn’t matter what I want. I probably won’t even be here then.”

Shiro frowned. He was beginning to think Jeff Summers had hit the nail on the head when it came to this kid. “It doesn’t matter where you’re located – you can apply to the Garrison from anywhere in the country, and cadets board at the Garrison once accepted. I just wanted you to know what the options are if you decide to apply.”

Keith didn’t answer.

“ _Do_ you want to apply to the Garrison?” asked Shiro.

Keith shrugged again. “Doesn’t matter. No one’s gonna pay those fees. Not for me.”

Shiro sighed. Without realizing it, Keith had answered his question. If the kid knew about the fees, then he had been interested enough to look it up. “Keith, there’s always a way around these things if it’s what you really want.”

Something spasmed across Keith’s features. “I should get back before Kara knows I’m out here.”

“Keith–”

“Bye.” 

He hurried through the side gate leading into the backyard before Shiro could say anything else.

oOo

“…and that’s when we swooped in and saved your butt from the Rykurians,” Lance finished with a flourish, folding his arms and smirking at Keith.

Shiro hid a smile at Keith’s unimpressed look. Hunk and Pidge had taken over the story when Shiro got to the point about crash-landing back on Earth and being sedated by the Garrison, and Lance had finished the story because he was the one who had been with Keith when the Govnex attacked them on Dovarian. It had allowed Shiro to drift into his memories, although he’d been careful to keep one ear open in case Keith had any questions…or if Lance decided to add any embellishments to the tale.

“All finished, Number Four,” announced Coran, securing the bandage around Keith’s arm. Then he tilted his head and studied the boy. “Although, technically you’d be number five now, wouldn’t you?”

Keith frowned at him. “What?”

“I have you all categorized by height,” replied Coran cheerfully. “You were number four, but now that you’ve been little-ized–”

“Deaged,” Pidge cut in.

Everyone looked at her.

“That’s the term used back on Earth when people are turned into younger versions of themselves,” she explained.

“What? I’ve never heard of it,” objected Lance.

“And I’ve never heard of people being turned into younger versions of themselves,” Shiro added, raising a bemused eyebrow.

Pidge shrugged. “Happens all the time in fiction.”

“Pidge is right, it’s totally a thing,” Hunk put in. “There’s loads of old movies about it, and it’s even happened in TV shows and comics! Pretty sure it happens all the time in fanfiction as well.”

“What’s fan– never mind, I don’t want to know,” said Shiro, holding up a hand. “Keith, do you have any questions?”

The boy was frowning. But after glancing at everyone gathered around him, he shook his head. Shiro made a note to talk to him alone later.

“I have a question,” Allura spoke up, studying Keith. “What happened to his clothes?”

Shiro glanced at the black splatters across Keith’s red t-shirt and blue jeans. “That’s blood from the Rykurians.”

“No,” said Allura. “I mean, what happened to his paladin armour? And his bayard?”

They all looked at Lance.

“Don’t look at me,” said the blue paladin, holding both hands up. “The space witch blasted him and he ended up like that; that’s all I know.”

Allura sighed. “If we do not find his armour, it will be difficult to manufacture another suit with the same durability – the materials used could only be found on a planet that was destroyed when Zarkon wiped out Altea and its surrounding solar system.”

“Then, I dunno, maybe the suit will reappear when we turn him back?” Hunk suggested.

“And how are we going to turn him back?” asked Pidge.

“I am not certain,” admitted Allura. “But there are planets where druids who practice magic can manipulate a body’s energy–”

“You mean like Haggar?” Shiro demanded.

Allura didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Not exactly like Haggar. But the manipulation of energy requires using certain pathways that all races must–”

“No way!” Shiro interrupted. “You’re not exposing Keith to some druid who can just twist his lifeforce any way they please on the off chance it _might_ turn him back.”

“Shiro, we need our red paladin. We cannot form Voltron without him,” Allura pointed out.

“We’ll find a way to turn Keith back,” said Shiro. “But we will do it safely, not just…experiment on him to discover what works.”

“Shiro–”

“This isn’t up for debate,” he told Allura in a hard voice. “Keith isn’t a lab rat. We do this only when we _know_ it will work. Understood?”

“Understood,” Allura replied stiffly.

An awkward silence fell. 

Shiro glanced at Keith beside him. The boy was hunched in his chair, looking uncomfortable, apprehensive and lost. Shiro put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Keith looked up at him but didn’t smile.

“Sooo…I think I’m gonna check on my lion,” Hunk announced, breaking the silence. “Shiro, you want me to give Black a look when I’m done?”

“Shouldn’t you be resting?” Shiro asked in concern, gesturing to Hunk’s side.

Hunk shook his head. “They’re just scratches; my undersuit took the worst of it. Besides, I don’t think I’ll ever sleep again knowing that alien cannibals exist. I mean, what if they attack when we’re sleeping? We’d be eaten in our beds!”

“And thank you for ruining sleep for me,” said Lance, slapping Hunk’s shoulder.

“Sorry.”

“Not to worry,” Coran told them. “Rykurian technology is so primitive it would take an entire fleet to bring down the castle’s particle barrier.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better,” Hunk complained. 

“But it should,” said Coran, wide-eyed. “Rykurians don’t travel in fleets – they prefer to keep their presence small to give their raiding parties an element of surprise.”

“Then how do you explain the two Rykurian battleships we fought?” Shiro asked. “Those guys definitely weren’t keeping it low-key.”

Coran looked uncomfortable. “That was something of an anomaly.”

“Coran, it’s been ten thousand years since you knew the Rykurians,” Pidge pointed out. “They could have changed tactics in that time. I mean, you said yourself on Arus that the Galra technology had advanced since you fought them last, maybe the Rykurians’ has too.”

“Pidge,” said Hunk plaintively, “I did not need that idea in my brain! Why do you have to go suggesting things that might not even be true?”

The green paladin rolled her eyes. “Was I the only one who noticed how hard it was to actually _hit_ the Rykurian battleships?”

“That wasn’t because of their ships’ technology,” said Allura. “I believe the Govnex was shielding them using magic. I could feel its energy while I was in the Green Lion.”

“Makes sense,” Shiro agreed. “The same thought occurred to me while we were battling them. The Rykurian ships didn’t look to have any shields up, but they were deflecting our blasts in the same way that the Govnex was.”

“Okay. None of this is doing _anything_ to make me feel better!” cried Hunk.

“I am sorry to make you uneasy, Hunk,” Allura told him, “but unfortunately, the Rykurians are a problem we must face. Coran, can you show me this energy you located on Dovarian? Perhaps uncovering what happened to the Dovari will give us some idea of how to deal with the Rykurians.”

Coran nodded. “Good idea, Princess. Pidge, do you think you could help me work on pinpointing the exact source of the energy?”

“Sure.” She put down the gel pack and got to her feet. “Let’s hit the bridge.”

“Thank you, Pidge,” said Allura. 

As Pidge and both Alteans left the med-bay, Hunk slumped with a sigh. “Guess I’ll go check on Yellow. I’ll see about getting Black up and running once I’ve done that, Shiro.”

Shiro gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you, Hunk.”

The yellow paladin shuffled towards the door. Lance looked at Shiro and Keith, eyes widening in some sudden realization, before calling after him, “Hey, Hunk, wait up! I’ll come with you!”

Once the two teenagers were gone, Shiro shifted to face Keith. “Are you okay?” 

Keith shrugged.

“I know this is a lot to take in,” Shiro continued, “so if you need to talk, I’m here. Okay?”

Keith nodded.

“Do you have any questions? Anything you didn’t want to ask in front of the others?” Shiro prodded gently.

Keith opened his mouth, then hesitated. 

“It’s okay, Keith, just ask.”

“How come…why was I kicked out of the Garrison?” 

Shiro felt pity at the disappointment on his face. He knew how badly Keith had wanted to attend the Garrison at this age, and discovering he had gone only to get kicked out had to hurt. “Honestly, Keith, I don’t know. It happened while I was a Galra prisoner and when I got back, you wouldn’t tell me why.”

Keith looked down at his feet.

“But for what it’s worth, you were the best pilot in your class,” Shiro added softly. “I was really proud of how hard you worked.”

Keith glanced up at him. “So, we still knew each other? While I was at the Garrison?”

Shiro blinked, confused. “What do you mean? Of course we still knew each other.”

“No, it’s…” Keith’s shoulders dropped. “Never mind.” 

Shiro put a hand on his arm. “Keith, what is it? Come on, you can tell me.”

Keith sighed. “I know you helped me, but I just thought…I mean, once I applied…”

“You thought I wouldn’t bother with you once I convinced you to apply to the Garrison,” Shiro finished, suddenly realizing what he was trying to say.

Keith nodded. 

Disappointment churned in Shiro’s stomach, coupled with a sense of failure. Had Keith really thought that? After everything? “Keith, why would you think that?”

He just shrugged. “Because people leave.”

Shiro swallowed. It hurt a little to be reminded of how alone Keith had been at this age. “Well, I didn’t. We’re friends, Keith, and we never stopped being friends.”

This time, he was rewarded with a small smile from the boy.

“You must be hungry,” said Shiro, changing the subject. “Let’s get something to eat. Although I’d better warn you; Altean technology might be better than Earth’s, but our cavemen had better food than they do!”

oOo

_Planet Earth, 2090_ …

Shiro wasn’t surprised when he didn’t hear from Greg Jansen. He’d been expecting that.

What he hadn’t been expecting was to find himself paying another visit to the house. He was getting way more involved than he’d intended, and he was probably overstepping his bounds as an officer. 

Shiro had no idea why he was so determined to help some kid he’d only just met − all he knew was that Keith’s talent shouldn’t be wasted. 

He stepped onto the porch, wondering if this visit would end with a door in his face. But before he could even ring the bell, the door opened several inches. Keith peered from behind it, his left eye black, swollen and bloodshot.

Outrage jolted down Shiro’s spine. “Keith! What happened to your eye?”

The boy made a _quiet down_ gesture at him with his hand. “You can’t be here,” he told Shiro in an urgent whisper. “You have to go!”

“Go?” Shiro repeated. “Keith, what–?”

“Shhhh!” Keith hissed, putting a finger to his lips. “Please, Officer Shirogane, just go.”

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” a voice yelled from behind Keith, and the boy’s eyes widened. “Who’s at that door?”

Keith was jerked from Shiro’s sight and the door was wrenched open. Greg Jansen stood there in blue overalls. His eyes narrowed when he saw Shiro. “You!” he growled. 

“Hello, Mr. Jansen,” said Shiro cautiously, deciding to play it safe until he could fully appraise the situation. The big man was glowering down at him, looking ready to explode. Behind him stood Keith, clutching his upper right arm. 

Something about the sight sent a hot, protective anger burning through Shiro.

“What d’ya want?” the man spat. “I thought you weren’t pressin’ charges ‘bout the bike.”

“I’m not here about the bike,” said Shiro, raising a surprised eyebrow. “I was here a few nights ago and I spoke to your wife about–”

“That was _you?!_ ” The man turned back to Keith and snarled, “Why the fuck didn’t ya say he was the same guy?”

“You didn’t ask,” Keith retorted, jaw jutting out with a defiance that made Shiro want to groan. He could see now what Jeff Summers meant.

“I’ll deal with you later,” Jansen hissed, pointing a finger at Keith before turning to Shiro again. “Look, whatever crap you’re here to fill his head with, don’t bother. The kid’s not going to that space school, not while he’s under my roof.”

“What happened to his eye?” Shiro demanded, dropping all pretence at civility.

The man bristled at once. “You accusin’ me of something?” 

“I didn’t accuse you of anything,” replied Shiro coldly. “I just asked what happened to his eye.”

“He got into a fight with some kid in school. If you don’t believe me, ask his teacher. Now get off my property before I call the cops!”

The door was slammed so hard in Shiro’s face that the porch shook. 

He stood there for several seconds, shaking with anger, before turning and stomping down the path to his bike. He wasn’t sure whether to believe Jansen or not. Jeff Summers had confirmed that the other kids picked on Keith, and Shiro himself had witnessed how quick Keith was to react. But it was also obvious that Jansen had a nasty temper and a tendency to treat Keith roughly. Not to mention that Shiro had seen enough schoolyard fisticuffs to know they rarely resulted in a black eye of that calibre. Some torn clothes and grazed knuckles usually, maybe even the occasional split lip or bloody nose, but Keith’s eye…that was the result of strength and real violence.

Determined to get to the bottom of what was happening with Keith, Shiro contacted the school the very next day and asked to speak to Jeff.

The teacher sounded surprised when he came to the phone. “Officer Shirogane? What can I do for you?”

“I wanted to talk to you. About Keith.”

“O-kay…”

“Did he get into a fight at school since I spoke to you last?”

“Keith’s been in three fights since I spoke to you last,” said Jeff in a resigned voice. “You’re going to have to be more specific.”

“The fight would have happened recently. And it would have resulted in a black eye.”

“Oh. That.”

“So, there was a fight.”

“Yeah, the day before yesterday. But I wasn’t on yard duty, so I don’t know the specifics. All I know for sure is that Keith got into it with another boy and received a week’s worth of detentions for it.”

Shiro bristled in annoyance. “Did the other boy get a detention?” 

“No. All evidence points to Keith being the one to start the fight.”

“By ‘all evidence’ do you mean the other kids?”

The teacher’s silence was answer enough. Shiro exhaled angrily. “What about Keith? What does he say happened?”

“Keith’s not saying anything, which doesn’t help his case.”

“Maybe he doesn’t see the point in telling his story when everyone else is telling a different one. Who’d believe him?”

“I would,” replied Jeff quietly. “But I can’t help Keith if he won’t help himself.”

Shiro had no answer to that. The man had a point. Then he remembered the purpose of his call. “So, the other boy gave him the black eye?”

“Yeah, probably.”

Shiro frowned. “Probably?”

“Well, Keith was sent home from school straight after the fight, and when he came back the next day, he had a black eye. And I overheard the boy he’d been fighting with boasting about it, so I assumed…are you suggesting someone else gave him the black eye?”

“I’m not sure.”

The teacher sighed. “Keith does have a knack for finding trouble. It’s highly possible.”

“What about someone at home?” Shiro asked carefully.

“Kara?” The teacher laughed. “Officer Shirogane, let me tell you now, his foster mom is the meekest person on the planet. She is literally incapable of swatting a fly, let alone hurting a kid.”

It sounded like Jeff hadn’t met Greg Jansen. Shiro doubted he’d be laughing if he had. Unfortunately, he couldn’t admit to having met either foster parent in case the teacher started wondering about his interest in Keith. “Well, thank you, Mr. Summers. I appreciate you talking to me.”

“Anytime. Do you mind if I ask, are you…reconsidering things with Keith? Mentoring him, I mean?”

“That’s still against Garrison policy, but I am looking into something,” replied Shiro evasively. 

“Okay. Good luck with that, Officer Shirogane.”

The man hung up, leaving Shiro even more concerned than before. It didn’t matter that a fight had occurred in school, Keith’s black eye could still have happened afterwards. 

Like at the hands of Greg Jansen.

Shiro’s frown deepened. But if Keith’s foster father was hurting him, why wouldn’t he say anything?

_Maybe for the same reason he doesn’t tell his teachers about the other kids. He thinks no one will believe him._

It was a disturbing thought. Not telling your teacher about a bunch of bullies was one thing, but this…Greg Jansen was a big man and despite how tough Keith acted, he was still just a kid. A man like Jansen could really hurt him.

Shiro was torn about his next move. His gut instinct told him something was wrong in that house, but he had no way to prove it, not unless Keith talked. And it was pretty obvious that wasn’t going to happen. 

Despite what he knew about Keith, Shiro still struggled to understand that. Keith seemed like a smart kid, he should know the police and social services took accusations of abuse against a minor seriously. Why would he not say anything?

He tapped his pen against the desk, staring off into space. He wasn’t going to get to the bottom of this without more information, but he couldn’t exactly ask Keith. From what he’d seen of the kid, he’d likely clam up at the first question. And asking Kara Jansen was out of the question, which left Jeff Summers. Except the teacher hadn’t even met Greg Jansen and probably didn’t know the details of Keith’s past, other than he was a foster kid with a history of fighting.

Shiro sighed. He could talk to a social worker, but that would likely trigger all sorts of questions about why a grown man was getting involved with some kid he barely even knew. And while there was nothing in Shiro’s past to warrant concern, he had a feeling the scrutiny could make things difficult for him here at the Garrison. What he needed was to get a look at Keith’s file.

Unfortunately, that was something he didn’t have access to. Only social services or certain police officers could– Shiro started suddenly. He _did_ have a friend in the police force who owed him a favour…

Staring at the phone, he debated the pros and cons of obtaining Keith’s file illegally. About the only pro he could come up with was that he would learn more about Keith’s past, while the list of cons were likely to rattle his career fast-track, especially if Iverson found out.

But then Shiro thought about Keith peering around a door at him, a vicious-looking black eye marring his face. He was just a kid, and he had no one to look out for him. If anything happened to him when Shiro could have prevented it, he’d never forgive himself.

The thought was enough to make him pick up the phone and dial. 

“Hello?” came the familiar twang of a Texas accent.

“Hey, Danny, it’s Shiro. Sorry to bother you at work, but I need a favour.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who commented and left kudos on the last chapter. You guys are awesome. :)
> 
> SEASON 3 SPOILER ALERT:
> 
> Anyone else feeling a little empty after yesterday? No way was that the real Shiro. I want Shiro back NOW! And much as I loved how the lion swapping was handled (seriously, how hilarious was Allura chatting up Blue? :D), I'm really hoping that the end of Season 4 has everyone back in their original lions.
> 
> Freaking adored all the Keith and Lance bonding though! My poor Keith was just so sad over Shiro, it made my heart hurt. :( And Hunk, Hunk you were so precious and hilarious! We needed more Pidge and Coran though, they barely got a sneeze of screen time.

“Paladins, I need you all to come to the bridge immediately.” 

As Danny’s voice morphed into a woman’s, Shiro jerked awake, nearly falling off the chair he’d been sleeping on. Blinking, it took a moment to remember where he was. Then he realized that Allura’s voice had woken him and sat up straight. The bridge. She wanted them on the bridge.

“Shiro? What’s going on?” asked a soft voice to his right.

Shiro looked over to find a very young Keith, hair mussed, sitting up in bed and staring at him. The events of the day before came flooding back. “I don’t know. Wait here and I’ll see what’s going on.”

“No, I’ll come with you!” said Keith at once, scrambling out of bed and jamming his feet into his sneakers. 

Shiro waited patiently for him to tie his laces. It was obvious Keith preferred to stay with him and there was no alarm blaring, so it was unlikely they were under attack. He could afford to wait a few seconds longer.

“All set?” he asked, as Keith straightened up.

The boy nodded.

“Good.”

Exiting Keith’s room, Shiro asked, “Did you sleep okay?”

Keith shrugged. “I guess.”

“How’s your arms?”

“Fine.”

Shiro studied him, but other than the bandages and blood-stained clothing, Keith didn’t look any the worse for wear. Concluding that the boy was probably telling the truth, Shiro let it go. They would have to do something about his clothes though; they couldn’t exactly leave him walking around covered in alien blood. Shiro had just been too exhausted to think about it last night…which was how he had ended up sleeping on the chair – he’d only intended on keeping Keith company until he fell asleep, but had passed out from sheer exhaustion.

Rolling his neck to ease out the kinks, Shiro sighed. Ever since his time as a Galra prisoner, sleep had been difficult to come by. Most nights he was woken by dreams or sensations that he didn’t understand, the elusive memories tormenting him into not being able to fall back to sleep. Some nights he couldn’t sleep at all. The combination of both usually resulted in a breaking point like last night, where Shiro was so shattered that he would literally pass out. It was the only way he ever got any real sleep these days.

He knew it wasn’t healthy, that he wouldn’t be able to maintain this cycle, but he didn’t know how to fix it.

They arrived on the bridge to find Allura, Coran and the rest of the paladins already there. Shiro sensed Keith taking a step closer to him and hid a grimace. The boy’s blatant mistrust of them was going to raise questions, probably sooner than later.

“What’s going on?” Shiro asked, drawing their attention away from Keith. 

“Pidge identified the source of the energy that was interfering with our sensors yesterday,” answered Allura. “It’s coming from beneath the tower where we found the Dovari’s blood.” 

“That can’t be a coincidence,” Shiro commented, staring out the windows at the small planet they were hovering over.

“It’s not,” said Pidge. “It took a while, but I was able to reprogram our sensors to scan _around_ the energy. It’s not as accurate and I still can’t tell exactly what the energy is, but I’m pretty sure its purpose is to prevent scanners from picking up signs of life. That’s why our scanners couldn’t find Keith or the Rykurians.”

“What’s the point of something like that?” Shiro wondered.

“To hide the existence of living beings from the Rykurians,” Allura replied. 

Shiro raised an eyebrow.

“I think the Dovari are hiding beneath the village,” Allura clarified.

“They’re alive?” said Shiro, hopeful.

“I think so.”

“Wait, hold up!” Hunk interjected. “If this…energy is supposed to keep the Rykurians from discovering people, then how were they able to find Keith?”

Everyone glanced at the boy, who instantly scowled and crossed his arms – the default position Shiro was pretty sure he would never grow out of. 

“When out of their ships, the Rykurians rely on smell to track their prey,” Allura replied. “They probably caught Keith’s scent and literally hunted him down. Is that what happened, Keith?”

Keith looked at the ground and nodded.

“What do you mean they hunted him?” demanded Shiro. “Keith?”

Keeping his gaze on the ground, Keith scuffed his shoes. “They were just…everywhere. No matter where I ran, they found me – even when I hid in one of the houses. I had to jump out a window to get away. I climbed the tree because…” he shrugged, before admitting in an impossibly soft voice, “I didn’t know what else to do.” 

Shiro was horrified. He had assumed the Rykurians had just chased Keith into the tree. The idea of them hunting him down like an animal just so they could eat him alive made Shiro sick to his stomach.

“You know, the more I hear about these Rykurians, the more I hate them,” Lance announced, an uncharacteristically ugly expression on his face. 

“If scent is their thing, why aren’t they tracking the Dovari using it?” Pidge wanted to know.

“Dovarian has a very thick, rock-based surface,” Coran answered. “The Rykurians probably can’t smell the Dovari if they really are beneath the village.”

“No, but I believe the Govnex could,” Allura said.

They all looked at her.

“The Govnex are amongst the most powerful beings to exist in the known universe,” she explained. “It should be able to sense an entire village hiding beneath the surface.”

“But maybe it isn’t an entire village,” Shiro suggested. “Maybe it’s just a few survivors.”

“No.” Allura shook her head. “If the Rykurians had massacred that many of the Dovari then there would have been more evidence in the streets.”

Pidge frowned. “Okay, something doesn’t add up. If you’re right and the Dovari really are hiding beneath the village, then why wouldn’t the Govnex alert the Rykurians to that?”

Nobody ventured a guess, and Shiro looked at the planet again. “Open a hailing frequency, Coran. If the Dovari really are hiding beneath the village, then maybe they have some answers.”

Coran hit a button and Shiro spoke. “Planet Dovarian, we are the Paladins of Voltron and we’re here to help.”

There was no response.

“We know you were attacked by a Govnex and the Rykurians,” Shiro continued. “We defeated the Rykurians and the Govnex is gone. We only want to speak to you about what happened.”

Nothing but silence.

Exchanging a look with Allura, Shiro tried again. “I understand that you might be afraid, but we need your help if we’re to stop this from happening again.”

Still nothing. 

Shiro sighed. “If the Dovari are there, I don’t think they’re going to respond.”

“Who can blame them?” Hunk cut in. “Would you want to give away your hiding place if there were alien cannibals floating around?”

“The Rykurians are gone, Hunk,” Pidge pointed out.

“Yeah, but the Dovari don’t know that. For all they know, we’re the Rykurians and this is just a trap to lure them out.”

Lance snorted. “The Rykurians didn’t look civilized enough to _talk_ let alone come up with a plan like that.”

“It’s true the Rykurians aren’t very civilized,” Coran spoke up. “But they’re still dangerously clever when it comes to hunting and trapping, so you should never underestimate them.”

“And they can speak,” Allura added. Then her expression grew thoughtful. “However, it is very unlikely they have ever bothered to learn anything beyond their own language so we just need to prove to the Dovari that we are not the Rykurians.” 

“How do we do that?” asked Shiro.

“I have an idea,” said Allura, returning her attention to the hailing frequency. “Greetings, people of Dovarian, I am Allura of planet Altea and I am here with the Paladins of Voltron to aid you. We are friends, not enemies. _Slashkoveck insocroi dularnave renwar_.”

Shiro raised an eyebrow at the strange, somewhat hissed words coming from her mouth. “What was th–?”

“Princess Allura,” came a voice over the frequency, practically hissing its words. “I am Yanovic. Is it true the Rykurians are gone?”

“We shot down two battleships less than a quintent ago,” Allura responded. “However, we have not ventured to the ground to see if all Rykurians perished in the crash and we are unable to scan your planet for confirmation.”

“You may scan now…briefly,” Yanovic returned.

Everyone looked towards Coran, who pressed some buttons before nodding. “Our scanners appear to be working again – they’re picking up the Dovari beneath the village.”

“What about the Rykurians?” asked Allura. 

“There are three alive on one battleship,” Coran responded, peering at his readings. “However, scanners indicate that their life force is draining. I think they’re dying.”

“Good,” growled Lance, arms crossed and face still ugly. “Want me to fly down there and finish the job?”

Shiro shook his head, a little taken aback by the cold fury the blue paladin was radiating. He’d never seen this side of Lance before. “No one is venturing onto that battleship to take out three dying Rykurians – wounded animals are dangerous. Coran can keep an eye on them through the scanners.”

“Yanovic,” Allura addressed the Dovari, “did you hear that?”

“Three dying on one ship,” came the hissed response. “That is still three too many to risk bringing my people to the surface.”

“I agree,” said Allura. “However, I would speak with you if you would deign to meet with me in your village?”

There was silence for several seconds before Yanovic hissed, “ _Callistive slieve morcan vact drumin ve.”_

 _“Er callistive er morcan vact drumin slieve_ ,” Allura immediately responded.

“I will meet you in our main square,” came the response before the frequency dropped.

“What did you say to him?” asked Shiro.

“I promised not to kill him,” responded Allura. “A Rykurian would not leave anyone alive long enough to learn their native tongue and by speaking to them in it–”

“You proved you’re not a Rykurian,” Shiro finished. 

Allura nodded. “We will need to land the castle as the Green and Black Lions are still off-line. I would rather not separate our two working lions in the event of an attack.”

“Good plan,” Shiro agreed. 

“Your paladin armour is repaired and cleaned,” Coran informed them.

Hunk’s eyes popped. “Okay, how have you _done_ that already?! Coran, when do you sleep?”

“Now, that would be telling.” Coran tweaked his moustache proudly.

“Everybody, suit up,” Shiro ordered, before putting a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “Stay here with Coran and Allura, okay? I won’t be long.”

Apprehension flickered across Keith’s face, just as it had when Shiro went to change after their battle the day before. Knowing Keith would feel nervous anytime he wasn’t here made something tug inside Shiro, but it just wasn’t possible to always stay with Keith until he learned to trust the others. As the black paladin, there were responsibilities and duties he couldn’t ignore. The problem was, he didn’t know how to make this easier for Keith. Trust took time to build, and for Keith in particular, trust was a tricky concept. 

The boy had learned too many times that people couldn’t be trusted.

oOo

_Planet Earth, 2090_ …

When Danny dropped off the flashdrive at his apartment almost four days later, Shiro was rushing out to work and didn’t have time to look at it. He did exchange a few pleasantries with Danny and promised to meet him for a beer soon, before leaving with his friend’s assurances that he wouldn’t tell anyone about the file.

Shiro spent the morning in meetings and doing demonstrations for cadets, so it wasn’t until he sat down to lunch at his desk and opened the flashdrive that he realized Danny had also provided him with Greg Jansen’s file. He felt a surge of gratitude. He knew Danny would have had to call in some favours of his own to obtain Keith’s file, so he hadn’t asked him for Jansen’s. But Danny had gone ahead and done it anyway. Shiro really owed his friend, owed him big time.

As there were only two documents in the folder with Jansen’s name, he started with that. There wasn’t much – apparently, the man wasn’t as experienced as he’d claimed when it came to ‘problem’ foster kids. There had only been two before Keith: a fourteen-year-old girl and an eleven-year-old boy. The boy had been returned to his mother after two months, while the girl had been moved to another home after six months when Jansen claimed it wasn’t working out. There were no red flags in their foster file. Jansen and his wife had decided to foster when they couldn’t have kids of their own and had passed all the department checks.

The second document was more informative, an old police report that made Shiro tense. Kara Jansen had been admitted to the hospital three years ago with broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder. She’d claimed to have fallen down the stairs, but doctors noticed that her injuries were more consistent with a beating than a fall. However, without Kara’s statement or more evidence to back up their concern, the police could do little more than put a note on file.

Disgust crawled through Shiro. Spousal battery certainly explained Kara Jansen’s nervous demeanour. He would ask Danny to flag any future calls relating to the Jansen house. Opening Keith’s much larger folder, Shiro found several files, all dated, and decided to read them in order of oldest to most recent.

The first file documented how Keith had ended up in foster care: his father had been killed in a car crash when he was six, there was no information available on his mother, and he had no known relatives. As he was so young, social services hoped to find a family willing to adopt him, but for whatever reason, prospective parents just couldn’t take to Keith, and he was sent to live with a foster family. He spent over a year with the McAllisters in what the file suggested was a stable and loving environment. Then their own son had fallen ill with leukaemia, and the McAllisters had decided to stop fostering in order to focus on him. 

Shio clicked on the second file to find that Keith had been sent to live with another family, the Burkes. According to the document, Keith complained to his foster parents and social worker that the couple’s oldest son was ‘mean’ to him. They’d spoken to the fourteen-year-old Trent, who claimed he was just fooling around. As there were no injuries, everyone had assumed it was just typical boyish teasing, with the too-quiet Keith being overly sensitive to the more boisterous teenager. It wasn’t until Trent broke Keith’s arm that the truth about his torment of the younger boy came out. Locking him in closets, tying him to trees, threatening him, hitting him, putting dead animals down his clothes, holding his head underwater in the family pool…it was a shocking catalogue of abuse by a boy only a little older than Keith was now. 

Shiro’s gut churned when he opened the next file. Keith was removed from the Burke’s home, but after ten months, the damage had been done. He went to his next foster home a more defensive, suspicious child, who was unable to tell when the other children were just teasing. He lashed out constantly, always on the alert against potential threats. After several months, the family decided they were unable to deal with Keith’s outbursts and he was moved again.

The fourth file revealed that Keith had a new social worker, one who felt he would do better in a home with no other children, so he was sent to live with Tom and Patty Griffin. An older couple in their fifties, whose children had grown up and moved out. It seemed like the right place to provide a stabilizing environment for Keith. 

When Keith told his social worker that his foster parents were very strict and gave him too many chores to do, the woman ignored him. Her notes indicated that she thought Keith was a boy with no impulse control and discipline issues, who just needed a firmer hand. It wasn’t until a neighbour called the police almost eleven months later that social services discovered ‘a firmer hand’ meant slave labour and forced starvation. The neighbour contacted the police after spotting Keith chained to a tree by his ankle in the backyard. At that point, he’d spent six hours in the sun painting a fence. The Griffins were arrested.

Here, there was a note saying _see attached statement_ , and Shiro opened what turned out to be Keith’s statement. 

His eyes widened in horror as they raced over the text. According to Keith, punishments like that had been commonplace for the tiniest of infractions: being made to scrub the basement floor with a toothbrush because he was more than five minutes late returning from school, weeding the backyard without gloves until his fingers bled for not eating his carrots at dinner, getting locked into his room for twenty-four hours without food or use of the bathroom because he talked back to Patty, denied food for an entire weekend after getting detention at school. The crime that resulted in his being chained up and forced to paint the fence? He broke a mug while doing the dishes. 

Shiro put his sandwich down, appetite now gone. He felt sick. The abuse had been so insidious and indirect that if a neighbour hadn’t seen what was happening, who knew how long it could have gone on for!

Opening the next file to discover another new social worker, Shiro continued to read. Now ten, Keith was placed in a group home – being older made him more difficult to find a family for because younger children took priority for placement. But being an introverted child, Keith struggled to cope with the constant presence of others: there were nineteen kids in the home, ranging in age from ten to seventeen, with a minimum of three care staff on duty at all times. Unable to relate to any of them and overwhelmed by the constant activity, Keith withdrew into himself, resulting in the other kids branding him as ‘weird’. His tendency to lash out got worse, and Keith was soon labelled a problem child.

Shiro perused the long list of infractions Keith was accused of committing in the home, and the resulting punishments, with a growing sense of anger. How had nobody noticed that this kid needed help?

Scowling hard at the screen, Shiro clicked on the fifth file to discover yet _another_ new social worker, but at least this one seemed to take Keith’s predicament seriously. She was determined to place him with a loving, stable family. It took almost three months, but eventually Keith was moved from the group home to a foster family. The Taylors were a loving couple dedicated to the kids in their care. Alice Taylor was particularly devoted, attending every game, spelling bee or extra-curricular activity for each child, no matter how minor. She would go out of her way to make each birthday a special occasion, and spent hours at their bedsides whenever they were ill.

The file noted that the previously healthy Keith started to get sick, suffering frequent fevers or stomach flus. Keith’s social worker was concerned that his abusive past had affected his immune system, but Alice Taylor pointed out that he was just picking up the other kid’s germs. In a house of seven kids, it was inevitable that someone was nearly always sick.

A swell of apprehension rose when Shiro discovered Keith had seen Alice putting something into his younger foster brother’s ice-cream. Keith didn’t think anything of it until the kid came down with a stomach flu, but he watched his foster mother carefully after that, and noticed that every time she produced a small, brown bottle, one of the kids got sick. He voiced his fears about Alice to his social worker, and the woman immediately paid a visit to the house. When confronted, Alice produced several brown bottles containing various sauces, food additives and flavourings. Keith was now decided to have an overly-active imagination and his protests were ignored.

Shaking his head, Shiro read the notes on how Keith’s behaviour got worse. He became hostile towards his foster mother, refusing to eat and accusing her of poisoning them. His foster parents and social worker had several meetings about his paranoid behaviour, with the social worker voicing concerns that Keith was developing serious delusions as a result of his past. The Taylors mentioned sending Keith to see someone, but it never happened. 

Shiro wondered angrily why no one had considered that a red flag, or even thought it suspicious that Keith’s frequent bouts of illness suddenly stopped. 

The document went on to explain that almost two months later, the whole household came down with a particularly virulent stomach flu. Keith was the worst affected; vomiting constantly and delirious with a fever that raged for days. When Keith accused Alice Taylor of trying to kill him, the family said his fever was feeding his delusions. On the third night of illness, Keith dragged himself out of bed and ran away, only to collapse in the street. A taxi-driver found him and took him to the hospital, where doctors identified poison in his system. 

Alice Taylor was arrested and received a diagnosis of Munchhausen Syndrome by proxy.

Shiro stared in frozen disbelief at the screen. How was it possible for this to keep happening? What the hell kind of vetting system did social services have that families like these could get their hands on vulnerable kids?

Opening the second from last file, Shiro discovered that Keith had gone to stay with Kevin and Wanda Harris. From what he could see, they were a normal family – no violence or skeletons in their closet. In fact, it looked like they had really tried with Keith, showing understanding when he lashed out, and keeping punishments for misbehaviour to grounding or the removal of privileges. 

But it was obvious that Keith had been pushed too far. Struggling to trust people, he withdrew completely, hardly speaking to anyone and lashing out at the slightest provocation. His temper got worse, culminating in a fight at school where he broke another kid’s nose. He was kicked out for that. Worse, despite sympathizing with Keith, the Harris family now felt he was too dangerous to remain in their home. They had four other children to consider, two of whom were under the age of five.

Guessing what he would find, Shiro opened the last file.

Keith had another new social worker – his fifth – who believed that his second social worker had had the right idea; Keith would do better in a home with no other children, so he was sent to stay with Greg and Kara Jansen over four months ago.

At that point, Shiro stopped reading. He was so, so _angry_. No wonder Keith didn’t bother telling anyone when something was wrong…how many times had he looked for help, only for no one to believe him? Keith’s past reminded Shiro of a bad soap opera, except that felt like it was making light of something too sad and lonely for words. Horror movie was a better analogy. It certainly frightened Shiro to think the system could allow this to happen. His heart ached with pity for Keith. 

The question was, what did Shiro do next? He couldn’t _not_ do something – there was now no doubt in his mind that Greg Jansen was hurting Keith.

Shiro knew the sensible thing to do was to report this, pass it off to someone better qualified than he to deal with, but he was too involved. He’d been too involved from the moment he chose Keith to try the simulator. Besides, he no longer trusted social services to do right by Keith. 

He doubted Keith did either.

Sagging under the weight of responsibility he’d just placed on his own shoulders, Shiro pondered his next move.

oOo

Returning to the bridge in his armour, Shiro tried to shake off his anger, but it was hard. The memories were a little too fresh to ignore with the evidence of a mistrustful, vulnerable Keith in front of him once more.

He entered the bridge and found Keith beside the exit. His shoulders relaxed the instant Shiro appeared. Shiro gave him a reassuring smile before asking Coran, “How soon till we land?” 

“A few more doboshes.” 

“Good. Everyone take your seats. That’s yours,” Shiro added to Keith, pointing at the red paladin’s chair.

Keith glanced at the chair, then back at Shiro, who nodded encouragingly. Biting his lip, the boy went over and sat down.

Shiro took his own seat just as the castle performed its usual slight shudder at entering a planet’s atmosphere. Within minutes, they were sitting on Dovarian’s surface.

“Coran,” said Allura, stepping down from the controls, “you and Keith remain here while the rest of us speak with the Dovari.”

Shiro caught the flash of alarm in Keith’s eyes and quickly addressed Allura. “I think Keith should come with us, just in case the Dovari have some way to reverse this.”

“Shiro, I am not sure that is wise,” Allura began, glancing at Keith before relenting. “Very well. But, Keith, please stay close and do not wander off.”

Keith didn’t look very happy at being spoken to like an elementary schooler, but nodded.

They trooped to the pod in silence, Coran only speaking once to inform them that the strange energy was once more active and he could no longer monitor the living Rykurians’ movements.

“We will remain alert for any sign of their presence,” Allura reassured him, entering the pod.

It dropped to the planet’s surface, and when the doors slid open, eight Dovari were waiting just outside the village’s main gate. They stood a foot shorter than Shiro, with chunky frames, no legs and fins for feet. Their eyes were black, positioned on the sides of their heads, and their skin appeared to be scales. To Shiro, they looked like enormous fish with arms. 

The Dovari moved slowly towards Allura and the paladins, clearly apprehensive. Five of them were carrying what looked like barbed spears.

As they drew level, Allura bowed low and made a strange gesture with the fingers of her left hand. “ _Tavishnahare.”_

 _“Tavishnahare_ ,” returned one of the Dovari, mimicking the gesture. “I am Yanovic, Chieftain of the Balluka clan.” The alien spoke with a slight hissing sound, what looked like a forked tongue visible in its mouth.

“It is an honour to meet you, Chief Yanovic,” replied Allura, curling her arm against her chest like a backwards C.

It was clearly an honorific gesture because the Dovari relaxed, lowering their spears. Shiro had to admit, Allura’s presence in situations like this was priceless. Her knowledge and diplomatic abilities outstripped all of the paladins combined.

“I am Princess Allura,” she continued, before gesturing to the rest of them, “and these are the Paladins of Voltron.”

The chieftain’s black eyes blinked as he surveyed them. “We have heard tales of the return of Voltron, but did not trust to believe them. Hope is a dangerous thing.”

“Hope is also powerful,” Allura responded. “We intend to free the universe from Zarkon’s reign, as well as the terror of the Rykurians.”

“Those would be admirable feats should you succeed, Princess,” Yanovic said. “But how do you plan to do so when you cannot protect your own?” He gestured to Pidge and Keith. “The Govnex has clearly reduced these ones.”

Keith crossed his arms, while Pidge looked peeved. “I haven’t been _reduced_ ,” she argued. “And my height doesn’t affect my abilities as a paladin.”

“But you are a child,” the chieftain insisted. 

Pidge’s face became thunderous and Allura made a calming gesture at her before turning to the chieftain again. “Pidge is small, but that does not make her a child or lessen her value as a paladin. She has proven herself many times to be a vital part of Voltron.”

“And what of this one?” asked Yanovic, pointing to Keith. “He is clearly a child.”

Allura sighed and glanced at Keith, who was now almost a foot shorter than Pidge. “It is true our red paladin was…reduced by the Govnex. He was not in his lion and we did not know of its presence when it happened, but the Govnex shall not catch us unaware again.”

“And how do you know what the Govnex was doing if you were hiding beneath the village?” Shiro demanded.

“The planet Armillion was recently ravaged by Rykurians,” Yanovic responded, staring unblinkingly at Shiro. “Refugees from there landed here and told us what had happened: a Govnex appeared, turning many into children for the appetites of the Rykurians. As children, they were helpless to defend themselves. Those who escaped only did so because they had not yet been reduced and the Rykurians were busy feasting.”

Horror was etched on Allura’s face as she stared at Yanovic. “How many escaped from Armillion?”

“Very few. They had no warning and were unprepared for the Rykurians’ attack.”

“But you were,” Shiro commented.

The fish-like alien made a motion that might have been a head bob. “When the Armillions warned us of what the Rykurians had done, we held a meeting of the clans. It was decided that we would displace our people to the caverns beneath the villages, so we filled them with supplies and began moving our people. But the displacement was not complete when the Rykurians arrived and some perished.”

“Why didn’t you close your gates?” Hunk wondered. “Aren’t they supposed to protect you?”

“A Govnex would have destroyed the gate in mere jarunas. More of which, we hoped that by leaving the gates open the Rykurians would believe we fled the planet and would not stay to search for us. But that transpired to be a feeble hope. We have remained beneath the village for many moons now, unable to tell how other clans have fared.”

“The village to the east looks pretty untouched,” Shiro told him, pointing. “I’m guessing its people were fully evacuated to the caverns beneath before the Rykurians arrived.”

A loud hiss escaped Yanovic. “That is well to know, for my daughter is mated to the chieftain of that clan. I had feared for her and her young.”

“Unfortunately, we do not have any information on Dovarian’s other villages, but we can check on them for you?” Allura offered.

Yanovic’s head performed a strange side to side flip that was probably the Dovari equivalent of a head shake. “You would aid us more if you could destroy the Rykurians so we may return to the surface. Our supplies will not last forever and the Armillions cannot maintain the hiding much longer.”

“The Armillions have remained with you?” Allura asked.

“Yes. We owe them a great debt for bringing us warning and will shelter them with our thanks. More of which, they can perform the hiding to keep us secret.”

“What’s the hiding?” Pidge asked.

“It’s an Armillion ritual that can use a planet’s energy to hide all other energies,” Allura explained. “But it is difficult and draining to do. I do not think a few Armillions will be able to maintain it for long.”

“You are not wrong, Princess Allura,” Yanovic replied. “We dispatched Armillions to each village so all clans would have this protection. But those in our stronghold are weakening. They will not hold the hiding much longer.”

“So that’s what’s messing with our scanners,” said Shiro. 

Allura nodded. “But it does not explain why the Govnex did not betray the Dovari to the Rykurians. I am certain it would have been able to sense them beneath the surface.”

“The Armillions feared the same thing, Princess,” Yanovic said, “until they perceived a great pain within the Govnex. They believe it is being forced to do the Rykurians’ bidding.”

“What the heck could force something that powerful to do _anything?_ ” Lance interjected.

“We know not,” Yanovic responded. “But the Armillions can sense the Govnex’s sorrow, even from below the surface. They are troubled by such an ancient creature’s pain.”

Shiro frowned. “So, to defeat the Rykurians, we need to figure out how it’s controlling the Govnex.” 

“It would appear so,” Allura agreed. “Chief Yanovic, do the Armillions have any idea how the Rykurians are controlling the Govnex?”

“None, Princess.”

She sighed. “Then we must discover how some other way. Chief Yanovic, thank you for speaking with us. You may return to your people and I promise, we will do everything we can to defeat the Rykurians and bring your people peace.”

“Your words reassure me,” he responded. “It may be possible to hope for a better future once more.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all you amazing people who left such wonderful feedback and kudos on the last chapter. I can't tell you how much you made my weekend. :)
> 
> Also, seems like everyone is in agreement about the whole #notmyshiro thing. Feels good to know I'm not alone!

_Planet Earth, 2090_ …

Commander Holt stared at Shiro with an expression of shocked disbelief. “Shiro, how could you…do you know how many _lines_ you’ve crossed?!”

“Probably all of them,” Shiro admitted. 

“Unbelievable,” Commander Holt muttered, head sinking into his hands as he shook it. “Just unbelievable.”

Shiro remained silent, hoping he had done the right thing in coming to the commander. He had stewed for days over what to do about Keith, but every idea he’d come up with would have resulted in the police and social services getting involved. And at this point, Shiro felt the only thing that would accomplish was put Keith back in the system that had failed him so many times. Not to mention what would happen to Shiro if the Garrison found out how he had obtained Keith’s file…

Shiro could practically hear Iverson’s voice. _Serious abuse of power…conduct unbecoming of an officer…should be court-marshalled…_ Iverson lived for Galaxy Garrison. He considered anything that might hurt its reputation a threat, and dealt with it accordingly. And the stunt Shiro had just pulled… Iverson would probably take it as treason.

Shiro watched Commander Holt, still shaking his head and muttering under his breath. Unable to come up with a solution himself, Shiro had gone to the smartest man he knew for help. Commander Holt was a scientist first and a soldier second. He would at least hear Shiro out before reacting.

Eventually, the older man looked up from his desk. “Shiro, Galaxy Garrison doesn’t have jurisdiction for something like this – we’re military, not police.”

“I know.”

“There are specific channels, specific _protocols_ officers are expected to follow for incidents involving civilians.”

“I know.”

“Not to mention you’ve violated about a dozen Garrison regulations…”

“I know.”

“This could cost you your career.”

“I know.”

Commander Holt sighed. “Sit down, Shiro.”

Shiro sat, staring anxiously across the desk at the older man. 

Looking weary, Commander Holt massaged his temples. “Why did you come to me about this? I could have reported you.” 

So he wasn’t reporting him. Shiro immediately relaxed. “I need your help, sir. I don’t know what to do. I have no actual proof that Keith’s foster father is hurting him, other than my own suspicions, and I don’t know if Keith would back me up, meaning social services might just leave him with Jansen. And if I accuse the man and Keith isn’t removed from the house, it might leave him vulnerable to reprisals from the guy. Not to mention that even if I can prove it or get Keith to back me up, it just puts him right back in the system.”

“You know they’re the ones best suited to help him, right?”

Shiro snorted. “They’ve done a bang-up job so far!”

Commander Holt leaned back in his chair. “Shiro, just because Keith has ended up in a few bad foster homes–”

“Four, sir. He’s ended up in four, one of which actually tried to _kill_ him. And that’s out of eight foster homes in six years. If social services keep playing the odds like this, they’re going to destroy any chance of Keith ever trusting another human being…if it’s not too late already.”

Commander Holt frowned. “You never mentioned a foster family tried to kill him.”

“I kept the details to a minimum, sir. The abuse was worse than I described.”

The commander’s frown deepened. “I see.”

“Commander, I know it isn’t my place, and I know I’ve crossed several boundaries, but this kid has nobody, _nobody_ to look out for him.”

“That’s not quite true,” said Commander Holt, studying Shiro with a shrewd look. “He has you. You’re looking out for him.”

“Except he doesn’t know that,” Shiro pointed out. “To him, I’m probably just some Garrison officer trying to recruit a potential cadet.”

“Then why don’t you show him you’re more than that?”

Shiro blinked. “What?”

“Make friends with the kid. Talk to him, see if you can get him to open up. The first step in helping a kid like Keith is to get them to _accept_ help.”

“I…don’t know how to do that. He’s twelve – a grown man trying to make friends with a kid is going to look debatable at best. And I’m pretty sure Keith will be suspicious if some guy he barely knows offers to take him out for ice-cream.”

“Then you offer him something different,” replied Commander Holt, eyes far away, clearly thinking. “Offer him another chance to fly the simulator.”

“But, sir, I don’t have the authority–”

“I do. My asking Keith back to the Garrison isn’t going to raise any questions. He’s a twelve-year-old kid who broke a flight record without any formal training during his first time in the simulator. Do you know how many officers have pulled the footage of his flight to watch it? Even Iverson looked impressed…not that the old buzzkill would admit it.”

Shiro stifled a laugh. Commander Holt was definitely his son’s father.

“Why don’t you ask him to come this Saturday?” Commander Holt continued. “Several of the officers are out with the junior cadets on manoeuvre and capabilities training, while Iverson and Harris are taking the senior cadets into the desert for their final wilderness survival exam. There’ll be hardly anyone left on the base. And don’t worry about clearance, I’ll take care of that.”

Shiro felt some of the tight anxiety coiled around him loosen. “Thank you, sir. But what about Keith’s home situation? What should I do about his foster father?”

“I need to think about that. If you’re sure that putting him back in the system would do more harm than good, then we need to come up with another solution. This is a complicated situation, Shiro, one I’m afraid won’t be easy to fix. All we can do is start small.”

Shiro sighed. He’d been hoping for a more immediate solution, but what the commander said made sense. “Alright, I’ll ask Keith to visit the Garrison on Saturday.”

“Maybe you should meet him after school instead of going to his house?” Commander Holt suggested, expression serious. “I know it’s less than ideal to show up at his school where people can see you, but if his foster dad sees you again, he might take it out on Keith.”

“I’ll visit the school this afternoon,” said Shiro at once. No way was he giving Jansen another reason to hurt Keith.

Commander Holt gave him a fond smile. “You’re a good man, Shiro. Most people wouldn’t risk their necks for some kid they barely even know.”

Shiro didn’t know whether that made him feel better or worse.

oOo

He was jerked back to the present when the pod docked in the castle.

Shiro sighed. He had long since decided it was worse knowing people were not always so quick to help as he was. That knowledge had shaken his belief in people being inherently good, and while Shiro knew tempering his idealism with realism made him a stronger leader, he missed the easy peace idealism could bring.

That peace would have been especially welcome now that they were caught up in the throes of an inter-galactic war. 

He sighed again and turned to Allura. “We need to plan our next move and find out how the Rykurians are controlling the Govnex.”

“I agree, but we should repair the Green and Black Lions first.”

“Hunk and I can do that,” Pidge spoke up. “It shouldn’t take long; my connection to Green has been getting stronger over the last few hours – I think she’s almost back online.”

“Good,” said Allura. “Coran and I will contact the planets in this solar system to see if others have been attacked by the Rykurians.”

“Knowing where they’ve hit might give us a lead on where they’re going next,” Shiro guessed.

Allura nodded. “And hopefully point us in the direction they came from. We need to trace their movements to identify when they started controlling the Govnex. Hopefully that will lead us to how they are controlling it.”

“I can help with that,” said Shiro.

“Excellent. You can start with–”

Allura was interrupted by Hunk clearing his throat. “Yeah, sorry to interrupt but…what do you plan on doing with the little guy?”

They all looked at Keith, who frowned and hunched his shoulders.

“I mean,” Hunk continued, “it’ll probably be really boring for him just watching you guys doing, you know, that strategy thing? I just thought that…I dunno, maybe he’d like to come see the lions with me?”

A small flicker of interest appeared on Keith’s face, and was immediately squashed behind a mask of suspicion.

To Shiro, it was the perfect opportunity for Keith to spend time with the other paladins; something he needed to do if he was to ever trust them. “Do you want to see the lions?” he asked Keith. “Hunk could show you the Red Lion – that’s your lion.” 

Staring up at Shiro, Keith bit his lip and didn’t respond.

“Jeez,” said Lance in exasperation, “kid you talks even less than teenage you!”

“Lance!” Shiro reprimanded, as Keith scowled at the blue paladin. He knew Lance meant well, but he would have to give the blue paladin a heads-up about how the banter and snark he usually shared with Keith would not go over well with Keith’s younger self. 

Shiro turned back to the boy, guessing his problem. “Look, how about I walk down to the hangar with you and Hunk? I’ll show you how to use the intercom to contact me on the bridge if you need anything.”

Keith glanced at Hunk, who gave him a cheery grin and a thumbs-up, before turning back to Shiro. “Okay.”

“Allura, I’ll meet you on the bridge shortly,” Shiro told her.

“Of course,” she replied, heading for the bridge without another word. The princess didn’t always bother with her diplomatic skills in the castle.

“So, which lion first?” asked Hunk. 

“Red,” decided Shiro. “Let Keith see his lion before you start working on the others.”

Shiro led the way to the Red Lion’s hangar. Hunk and Keith walked beside him, Lance and Pidge bringing up the rear.

“You know,” Hunk said to Keith, “with everything that’s been going on, we haven’t really properly introduced ourselves. And I know this is weird since we technically actually _know_ each other but…I’m Hunk.”

Keith nodded, but didn’t say anything.

Hunk pointed behind them to the green paladin. “That’s Pidge, our resident tech expert.”

Keith glanced at her and she waved to him.

“And that’s Lance,” Hunk continued, “our blue paladin–”

“Sharpshooter and pilot extraordinaire,” Lance put in, making finger guns at Keith.

The boy rolled his eyes and Shiro hid a smile. 

“Which leaves Allura and Coran,” Hunk finished. “Allura is pretty kick-ass and Coran is…well, he kind of does everything around the castle. Sort of like an engineer, doctor, butler and teacher all rolled into one.”

“What about you?” Keith ventured, looking at Hunk curiously, and Shiro could tell that he was relaxing a little around the yellow paladin. Hunk tended to have that effect on people.

“Me? I’m an engineer,” Hunk answered. “’Course, my real speciality is food, but it’s kinda hard to find decent food out here in space. I’m still working on making the green goo edible.”

“Yeah, good luck with that!” Lance snorted, entering the Red Lion’s hangar.

“This is your lion,” Shiro told Keith.

Keith stared up at the lion, his face impassive. Shiro watched him carefully, wondering if Red would form any connection with him. 

The others were clearly thinking the same because Pidge asked, “Can you hear her?”

“Hear her?” Keith repeated, glancing from the lion to Pidge.

“Yeah, you know, in your head,” Lance supplied helpfully. 

Keith narrowed his eyes at Lance, like he suspected he was making fun of him.

Shiro hurried to explain. “It’s like we told you yesterday, the lions aren’t completely mechanical. They’re partly alive – although I’m not exactly sure how to explain that – and they communicate with their pilots by feeding images and ideas into their brains.”

“We’re all connected to our lions,” Hunk added softly. “We can feel them.”

“Oh.” Keith looked up at the lion again.

“Do you feel anything?” Shiro asked quietly.

Keith shrugged. “I don’t know. It feels…funny.”

“Funny?” Shiro repeated. “In what way?”

“I don’t know. Just…weird.” 

Keith shrugged again and Shiro knew they wouldn’t get anything more from him. 

“Do you want to see Red’s cockpit?” Hunk asked. “Although, she might not let us in if she doesn’t recognize you as you, you know what I mean?”

Keith shook his head.

Hunk scrunched up his face. “Well, Red’s…picky. You usually have to work with me when she needs repairs.”

Lance snorted. “Picky? Ha! Try temperamental and unstable.”

“Lance!” groaned Shiro and Hunk together.

“What?” he defended himself. “Allura _said_ Red was more unstable than the other lions!”

“She also said Red was faster and more agile,” Shiro pointed out, frowning at Lance. He knew the blue paladin didn’t mean any harm, but he tended to blurt out whatever was in his head. Teenage Keith could handle him most of the time, but Shiro was pretty sure his younger self couldn’t.

Sure enough, one glance at Keith revealed he was glowering up at Lance, hands scrunched into fists, his teeth clenched and bared.

“It’s true Red is a little more temperamental than the other lions,” Shiro soothed Keith, “but that just means she needs a pilot strong enough to handle her.”

“And you’re kinda awesome at that,” Hunk added. “This one time, you had to chase these aliens through an asteroid field because they’d stolen the Blue Lion–”

“And which only happened because Lance is a sucker for a pretty face,” Pidge put in.

“Hey!” the blue paladin protested.

Hunk shrugged. “Sorry, dude, but Pidge is right. Anyway, none of us could fly through the asteroid field, only you. So, you chased the aliens and got Lance’s lion back.”

“While he was tied to a tree,” Pidge added with a sly grin.

“Pidge…” Shiro warned. Yes, Lance had screwed up with Rolo and Nyma, but he’d learned from his mistake and Shiro didn’t see the point in rubbing his nose in it.

The green paladin just shrugged, totally unconcerned.

“Anyway, what we’re basically saying is that you’ve got a pretty tight bond with your lion,” Hunk finished, patting Keith’s shoulder. The boy stiffened and Hunk removed his hand, looking confused. “Um…so…you wanna see her cockpit?”

Keith angled his head up at Hunk, then looked at the Red Lion through narrowed eyes. Eventually, he nodded at Hunk.

Hunk smiled and moved for the Red Lion. “Okay, cool! C’mon!”

Keith glanced at Shiro, who smiled encouragingly, before following Hunk. Fortunately, Red opened for them.

As they disappeared into the jaws of the Red Lion, Lance turned to Shiro. “Okay, what’s the deal? He acts like we’re the bad guys!”

“He’s twelve and he’s just found himself in space with a bunch of people he doesn’t know, and alien cannibals who tried to eat him,” Shiro replied. “Give him time; he’s just freaked out.”

“Sorry, Shiro,” Pidge interjected, “but I’m with Lance. Kid Keith is even more suspicious than Teenage Keith. I didn’t think that was possible.”

Shiro tensed. He’d known they would look for answers to Keith’s behaviour, but he didn’t feel right sharing Keith’s past, not when the red paladin hadn’t done so himself – either as a teenager or child. “Look…Keith didn’t have an easy time growing up. He finds it hard to trust people. I don’t feel comfortable saying more than that.”

“Okay, then how do you know him?” Lance asked. “We didn’t join the Garrison till we were fifteen.”

“That’s Keith’s story to tell. And no asking him about it either,” Shiro added, when Lance opened his mouth. 

“Killjoy,” muttered the blue paladin, shoulders slumping.

“I mean it, Lance,” warned Shiro. “No pushing for answers that you know his older self wouldn’t be comfortable giving. Keith deserves his privacy, both at twelve _and_ sixteen.”

“Okay,” said Lance reluctantly.

“And while we’re talking about this, I know you and Keith have some weird rivalry going on and like to poke fun at each other, but can you tone it down for now? He’s not good with people and he won’t understand.”

Lance frowned at Shiro, something like comprehension spreading across his face, then nodded. “Okay.”

Shiro smiled. Lance might joke around a lot, but you could always count on him when it came to the crunch. “Thank you.”

“Shiro, how are we going to turn him back?” Pidge wanted to know. “We can’t form Voltron without him and even if the Red Lion accepts him as a pilot, he’s too young to become a paladin.”

“He’s only three years younger than you,” Shiro reminded her.

Pidge shook her head. “Three years is a big difference for kids. Can you honestly say this Keith is capable of being a paladin?” 

She pointed, and Shiro’s eyes followed her finger towards the Red Lion. This Keith was raw, hostile and mistrustful – far too volatile and vulnerable to be a paladin of Voltron. He sighed. “No.”

“Then how do we turn him _back_?”

“I don’t know. Hopefully, the Govnex will do it once we get it out from under the Rykurians’ control.”

Lance snorted. “Yeah, if it doesn’t cause…I dunno, our brains to _implode_ or something.”

“That implies you have a brain to implode,” Pidge deadpanned.

“Oh, ha ha, very funny.”

Just then, Hunk and Keith exited Red and re-joined them.

“Anything happen in the lion?” Shiro wanted to know.

Hunk shrugged. “Coupla lights came on in the dash, but that was it.”

Shiro had a feeling that wasn’t the entire truth – Keith was staring at the floor, not saying anything – but he knew pushing him in front of everyone would only make him clam up. “Okay, let’s head to the Green Lion next. Pidge said she could feel her connection getting stronger so you’ll probably get Green up and running faster than Black. She’s still silent.”

“Okay,” Hunk agreed, and set off towards the Green Lion’s hangar.

Shiro fell into step beside Keith. “What did you think of the Red Lion?” 

Keith shrugged. 

“Have you any questions about the lions?” Shiro asked carefully.

Keith side-eyed him before asking, “How do you…communicate with them?”

Okay, something definitely happened with Red. Shiro thought for a moment before responding. “It’s hard to explain. It’s like a presence in your brain. You can feel them, but it’s not the same as your own feelings. You know they aren’t yours.”

Keith’s head was tilted, clearly listening.

“The lions communicate using images and ideas instead of words,” Shiro continued. “And they only communicate with the paladin they’re bonded to. We can feel all the lions when Voltron is formed, but we can’t sense each other’s lions outside of Voltron.” Shiro didn’t mention that Keith had been able to sense the Blue Lion back on Earth – they still didn’t know how he’d been able to do that.

“How did you make your lions bond with you?” Keith wanted to know.

“We didn’t. Allura told us the bonds can’t be forced. The lion chooses its pilot. And that went double for you. Our lions accepted us straight away, but you had to fight to earn your lion’s respect.”

Keith blinked. “Fight?”

“Yes, some Galra drones…robots,” he clarified, at a blank look from Keith.

“Yeah, and then you got sucked out into space trying to protect your lion and it was so impressed, it decided you were its pilot,” Lance added, clearly trying to make up for his earlier teasing. But Keith only shot him a suspicious glare.

“Any other questions?” asked Shiro, as they reached the Green Lion’s hangar.

Keith shook his head.

“Hey! You’re back online!” Pidge cried, darting in delight towards her lion.

Shiro looked up, and sure enough, the Green Lion’s eyes were glowing. Instinctively, he reached out to Black, but sensed only a faint awareness. He missed her comforting presence in the back of his mind.

“Green’s only going to need a little work,” Pidge declared happily from beneath the lion, patting its paw. “She should be operational in an hour, then we can focus completely on Black, Shiro.”

“Good. The sooner we have the lions, the sooner we can go after the Rykurians.” He was relieved when nobody mentioned that they would still be down a lion and unable to form Voltron. “Keith, I’m going to go help Allura. Why don’t you help Hunk and Pidge?”

Chewing on his lip, Keith surveyed the other paladins, then glanced at the Green Lion. 

Shiro could tell he was torn between wanting to go with him and wanting to investigate the lions further. “You can contact me on the bridge if you need anything just by pressing this button,” he told Keith, pointing to the control panel next to the door.

Keith hesitated for a few seconds, before nodding. “Okay.”

Shiro smiled, relieved. He knew Keith still didn’t trust the others, but he trusted Shiro enough to know they weren’t a threat. “Great. Have fun and I’ll be back in a bit, okay?”

Keith nodded again.

“Let me know if you guys need any help,” Shiro told the others, then left the hangar. Heading towards the bridge, he rubbed his temple, feeling the beginnings of a migraine. They had become more common since his time as a Galra prisoner. He often wondered if he would ever get all his memories back, or even find out the whole truth about what the Galra had done to him. 

Arriving on the bridge, he joined Allura beside the controls and asked, “Anything yet?”

She shook her head. “Neither Zycox or Verika have been attacked, nor have they seen the Rykurians. But they are increasing their planets’ defences now that they know of their presence. We have not yet been able to hail Planet Domeer.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” said Shiro, gut sinking. Had the Rykurians attacked another planet?

“No, it does not,” Allura agreed, her expression grim. “We are heading there now to investigate further.” She looked around. “Where’s Keith?”

“With the others in the Green Lion’s hangar.”

Allura arched an eyebrow. “He remained without you?”

“Yes.”

“That surprises me, given how little he seems to trust the rest of us.” 

Her expression was questioning, and Shiro sighed. “Keith’s had a troubled past. That’s all I can really say without his permission, Allura.”

“I understand. But, Shiro, if his mistrust causes any problems, then I will require an explanation.”

“There won’t be any problems. Keith’s a good kid, just…suspicious.”

She didn’t look wholly convinced. Shiro changed the subject. “What can I do to help?” 

Allura brought up a map of this planet’s solar system with a wave of her hand. “I want you to record the Rykurians movements as we uncover them. Once Pidge has finished with the lions, we can give her the data to identify a pattern. I am just about to contact the planet Milpa.”

“How many planets are there in the Tarvic solar system?” Shiro asked, beginning his task with the information they had from Dovarian and Armillion.

“Twenty-three,” she replied. “And fourteen moons have small mining colonies.”

Shiro grimaced. This was going to take a while.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I admit it. This chapter is pretty much shameless Shiro and Keith bonding. It felt necessary for the story though.
> 
> Also, since paladin ages were revealed this week, I'm now slightly off for Keith in this fic. Future fics will have correct ages.

_Planet Earth, 2090_ …

Shiro swept his eyes over the kids pouring out from the middle school, trying to spot Keith. He’d brought his own bike and came in civilian clothes to avoid drawing attention, but several kids still recognized him and were waving frantically. Some even came up to talk to him, and Shiro was so busy fielding their questions, he almost missed Keith coming down the steps.

“KEITH!” he called, waving.

The boy frowned when he spotted Shiro, expression suspicious, but much to Shiro’s relief, he made his way over.

“It was great seeing you guys again,” Shiro told the other kids still clustered around him. “Maybe your teachers will organize another trip to the Garrison soon.”

The kids looked disappointed at the gentle yet firm dismissal, but melted away, a few giving Keith dirty looks. Shiro was careful not to react when one of the boys banged his shoulder into Keith’s as they passed each other.

Keith jerked and clenched his fists, but didn’t react beyond that. Instead, he came to a stop almost four feet from Shiro. “What are you doing here?”

Shiro smiled, careful to keep the concern off his face. It had been a week, but Keith’s eye still looked ugly. “I came by to check on you. How’s the eye?”

Keith just shrugged.

Shiro resisted the temptation to ask who had done it. _Baby steps,_ he reminded himself. _Focus on being friends first_. “I wanted to invite you back to the Garrison. Do you remember Commander Holt, who flew the simulator with us?”

Keith nodded.

“Well, he wants you to come back and fly the simulator again.”

Surprise and curiosity appeared on Keith’s face, only to be promptly buried behind a mask of indifference. “Why?”

“You really impressed him. He’d like to see what else you’re capable of. Also, he mentioned something about letting you try the zero-gravity chamber.”

This time Keith couldn’t hide his interest. “Really?” 

Trying not to laugh, Shiro nodded. The middle-school tour had included a visit to the zero-gravity chamber, although none of them had gotten to try it because cadets were training at the time. But Shiro knew from previous school trips how much kids loved the zero-gravity chamber. 

Then Keith’s expression turned suspicious. “What’s the catch?”

“No catch,” said Shiro, keeping his face neutral. “Like I said, Commander Holt just wants to see what you’re capable of.”

Keith didn’t look convinced. 

Shiro knew he wouldn’t be able to pressure, coax or bribe this kid. “Look, it’s okay if you’re not interested. If you are, meet me at the front door of Galaxy Garrison on Saturday morning at nine a.m. But it’s your decision, okay?”

The boy hesitated, before nodding slowly. 

“Great.” Shiro smiled. “Hope to see you Saturday.” Then he left, hoping he’d convinced Keith. 

The next few days were a tense wait. If Keith decided not to show, Shiro would have to find another way to reach out to him, but he had no clue how to do that. Keith was clearly suspicious of most people and Shiro didn’t know what he would think of an adult trying to befriend him.

Saturday morning found Shiro waiting anxiously at the front door of Galaxy Garrison, clutching the day pass Commander Holt had issued for Keith. The commander was meeting them down at the simulator so he could shoo away any of the officers remaining on base who might be tempted to show up. The story about Keith’s record-breaking first flight had gone all around the Garrison at this point.

“Come on, Keith,” Shiro muttered, when nine-ten came and went with no sign of the kid.

At nine-fifteen, Shiro was ready to admit defeat when Keith appeared, hunching in on himself as he walked up the steps. 

Shiro struggled to hide his relief. “Morning, Keith. Glad you could make it.”

“Hi,” he replied. The swelling had gone down around his eye, and the angry purple had faded to a mottled dark green, but it still looked ugly. “Um…sorry. The bus was late.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Shiro reassured him. “You’re here now.” 

Keith bit his lip and nodded uncertainly, like he still wasn’t sure if he’d made the right decision.

Smiling, Shiro handed him the visitor pass. “You’re going to have to wear this, okay? Just for the checkpoints we pass.”

Taking the card, Keith slipped it over his head.

“Let’s go,” said Shiro. “Commander Holt is meeting us at the simulator.”

He led the way, Keith following just a step or two behind. Shiro burned to ask questions, but felt that letting Keith lead the conversation was a better approach. It was no surprise when the boy stayed silent.

“Morning, Jake,” Shiro greeted the guard at the first checkpoint. 

“Hey, Shiro. Not out on M&C training with the cadets?”

“Nope. Miranda gave me an out for most of this month’s cadet training.”

The man laughed. “Guess being off-planet for months has its advantages.” His eyes fell on Keith and he cocked a brow. “Who’s this?”

“This is Keith.” Shiro gestured for him to show his pass. “We’re meeting Commander Holt in the simulator.”

“Oh-ho,” said Jake, interest igniting his face as he checked the pass. “So, _you’re_ the wonder kid everyone’s been talking about.”

Keith’s brows pulled low and he glanced uncertainly at Shiro.

“Keith’s the one who broke the simulator record, yes,” Shiro answered for him. “Commander Holt wants to see what else he can do.”

“So do I!” said Jake, staring at Keith. “When I was a cadet, it took me nearly two weeks before I could go more than three minutes without crashing the simulator. Nice job, kid.”

“Uh…thanks?” Keith replied.

“Well, we’d better go,” said Shiro. “Don’t want to keep Commander Holt waiting. See you later, Jake.”

“Later, Shiro. Have fun, kid.”

Keith nodded and they set off down the hall again. After a few minutes, he spoke, “Officer Shirogane–”

“Call me Shiro. Everyone does.”

Keith frowned, side-eyeing Shiro like he puzzled him. “Right. Um…what that guard said, are– are people really talking about me?”

Shiro nodded. “I told you, that was an impressive first flight.”

“But I only stayed in the air for three minutes. Your flight was way harder and you completed it.”

“I’ve spent years training. You managed to fly the simulator without any training.”

“Oh.” Keith looked at the ground and didn’t speak again. 

They arrived at the simulator and Shiro saw a brief flash of relief on Commander Holt’s face. The officer had clearly thought Keith wasn’t going to show. 

“Hello again,” he greeted the boy, holding out his hand.

Keith stared at it for a second before shaking it. “Hi. Um…sorry I’m late. The bus was late.”

“Not to worry,” said the commander, waving away his concerns. “Are you ready to try the simulator again?”

Keith nodded.

“Then lead the way,” Commander Holt told him cheerfully. When the commander fell into step behind Keith, Shiro saw the smile slide off his face, and he gestured to Keith before pointing at his own eye, his indignation clear.

Shiro resisted the urge to say _I-told-you-so._

Once in the sim, Shiro ran through the usual instructions as a refresher, before adding some tips on how to navigate the asteroid field. Keith managed to get halfway past the asteroids before the simulator crashed. Shiro gave him more pointers and Keith took off again.

This time, he flew through the asteroid field and managed to buffer along the outer swirls of a magnetic storm, only crashing once he hit the core. Shiro’s eyes were wide. This kid wasn’t just good, he was _amazing!_ His pilot instincts were superb – Shiro had never seen any cadet react so quickly to the abrupt scenarios the sim threw at them.

After an hour of coaching, Keith had bypassed all the obstacles, arriving into open space where the sim allowed for all sorts of manoeuvrability. It was the most fun part of this level and Shiro smiled before telling him, “Go nuts. Try whatever you want.”

Keith’s eyes widened, before he leaned forward on the throttle, making the sim go faster, then abruptly pulling up and performing an aerial loop that took most pilots months to master. A look of delight flew across Keith’s face, causing something to pull deep inside Shiro.

After five minutes of frantic speeds and wild spins, the level reached its final phase: landing. Under Shiro’s instruction, Keith guided the sim in for a very bumpy but successful landing. He looked breathless with excitement when _level complete_ flashed up on screen at him, and he was actually smiling when he turned to Shiro. 

“That was awesome!” he blurted, eyes shining. “Is that what it feels like to fly out in space?!”

“Better,” Shiro told him, smiling.

“Wow!” Keith huffed out a laugh that made Shiro laugh too.

“I hope that means you’ll apply to Galaxy Garrison when you’re older,” said Commander Holt, coming up behind them. “That was incredible, son. Absolutely incredible.”

The smile dropped off Keith’s face and he looked at the ground.

Commander Holt exchanged a look with Shiro before kneeling next to the boy. “You know, if fees are a problem, the Garrison offers scholarship programs to certain applicants.”

Keith’s head shot up and he stared at the commander. “Really?!”

Commander Holt nodded. “Really.”

Shiro hid his frown. He was fairly certain the Garrison didn’t offer any scholarship programs and it could be dangerous to get Keith’s hopes up.

“Alright,” said the commander, “what’s say we pay a visit to the zero-gravity chamber?”

Keith nodded, the small smile back on his face. Shiro found he really liked it when the kid smiled.

They exited the simulator to whoops and applause – a group of four officers had dropped by to watch Keith’s test run. 

“Scholarship program?” Shiro whispered to Commander Holt, as the officers came forward to congratulate Keith. “The Garrison doesn’t offer any scholarship programs.”

“Not currently,” Commander Holt whispered back. “But there are plans in motion to set one up. Besides, do you honestly think the Garrison would let a kid that talented slip through their fingers over something as small as fees? Shiro, if that boy wants to go here, he absolutely has a place.”

Relief trickled through Shiro. Making promises they couldn’t keep would have been a sure-fire way to destroy any hope they had of getting Keith to trust them. Then he noticed the boy looking very uncomfortable, leaning away from the officers congratulating him and pumping his hand.

“Alright, guys,” called Shiro, striding forward, one hand out, “give him room to breathe.”

“And don’t you have work to do?” added Commander Holt.

There was a reluctant chorus of ‘yes, sir’ before the officers shuffled away, one of them even giving Keith a small wink and salute as he left. 

“Let’s go then, shall we?” said Commander Holt, giving Keith an encouraging smile. 

The boy nodded, but didn’t smile back. It seemed the officers’ attention had driven him back into his shell, and he was silent the whole way to the zero-gravity chamber.

Once there, Shiro turned to Keith. “Do you remember what the instructors told your class about weightlessness and zero-g?”

Keith nodded.

“Good. Now, the room is padded so you can’t hurt yourself bumping around in there, but you’ll probably want to take off your jacket and shoes before going in. You’ll find it easier to move.”

Keith narrowed his eyes and looked down at himself.

“You don’t have to,” Shiro reassured him. “It’s just more fun when you can manoeuvre easily.”

“Okay.” Keith kicked off his shoes and peeled off his jacket, revealing a long-sleeved t-shirt underneath.

Shiro held his hand out for the jacket, trying not to frown at how thin Keith was. He’d known the boy was skinny, he just hadn’t realized _how_ skinny under the too-big jacket he always wore. 

Taking the jacket, Shiro forced a smile. “Okay, in you go.”

“Have fun,” Commander Holt added, as Keith entered the chamber. 

The commander pressed a few buttons on the panel and the door slid closed. Through the observation window, they saw Keith jerk a little, eyes widening as he floated into the air. He stayed rigid and uncertain for several seconds before flipping into an awkward tumble. Then he promptly tried another one.

“He doesn’t talk much, does he?” Commander Holt commented, watching as Keith started to get a feel for floating around in zero-g and began trying more complicated acrobatics.

Shiro shook his head. “He really doesn’t. Commander, I’m not sure if I can get him to trust me; he’s so closed off.”

“It won’t be easy, but I think you have a better chance than you realize. The kid seems to like you.”

“I don’t think he knows what to make of me,” Shiro confessed. “I think he’s half suspicious of me.”

“Probably,” the commander agreed, face sad as he watched Keith. “I think suspicious is this kid’s default.”

“It’s probably what’s kept him alive,” Shiro responded, thinking of Alice Taylor. “Commander, have you found anything to get him out from under Greg Jansen without putting him back in the system?”

“Not yet. I am trying, but foster kids aren’t exactly my area of expertise.”

“I know. And thank you, sir. I know I’m asking a lot by getting you involved.”

They watched in silence for several minutes as Keith spun, tumbled and twisted in the zero-gravity chamber, a smile growing on his face.

“He’s pretty agile,” Commander Holt observed, watching Keith kick himself off the wall and flip backward.

“It’s zero-g,” Shiro pointed out. “It’s easy to be agile.”

“Not for everyone. Get the basketballs.”

“The basketballs?” Shiro repeated. 

“Yes, the basketballs. Go have some fun with the kid, Shiro.”

Shiro smiled and went to the storage cupboard where the instructors kept the basketballs they used when they wanted to take a more light-hearted approach to rogue projectile training and avoidance manoeuvres…basically the space-school version of dodgeball. It was something cadets loved, and it was great for promoting team-bonding, but it was also known to result in more than the occasional black eye or split lip. Shiro would have to be careful with Keith. 

Selecting five balls from the cupboard, Shiro returned to the panel and hit the intercom with his elbow. “Keith, can you float into an upright position for a sec? I’m bringing in a few basketballs and it means turning on the gravity for a minute.”

Shiro kicked off his boots as he watched Keith comply, then he opened the door. Keith dropped neatly to the padded floor, standing up quickly.

“What are those for?” he asked, cocking his head to one side and surveying the balls with a mixture of suspicion and interest.

“Fun,” Shiro answered with a grin, stepping into the chamber. “Commander, you want to seal us back in?”

“Already on it, Shiro,” the commander’s voice sounded over the intercom just as the door slid closed. 

Shiro dropped the basketballs and within seconds felt the familiar tug of zero-g taking him into the air. “Alright,” he told Keith, “get one of those basketballs and try to hit me with it.”

Floating ten feet away from him, Keith blinked. “What?”

Shiro’s grin widened. “Throw a basketball at me. Go ahead. This is a game the cadets get to play sometimes when the instructors are feeling generous.”

Still looking unsure, Keith flipped in the direction of the nearest ball. Grabbing it, he half-heartedly tossed it at Shiro. The ball drifted lazily away.

Shiro laughed. “You have to throw it harder. Look, like this.” He lunged at the nearest basketball, snatching it from the air and lobbing it towards Keith. He was careful not to put too much power behind the throw in case the ball actually hit him, but just enough that it would reach him.

Keith jerked sideways, the ball sailing past him. He turned to watch its progress, then twisted back to face Shiro with a bemused expression.

Shiro gestured to another ball. “You try.” 

This time Keith put more weight behind his throw, and Shiro had to jerk sideways as the ball hurtled towards him. 

“Now you’re getting it! Good arm, Keith.” 

Twisting to grab the ball behind him, Shiro threw it at Keith. The kid lunged for it, catching it and sending it back in a rapid return that Shiro pretended to dodge, but secretly allowed to smack off his back. He was surprised when the hit smarted more than he expected – Keith was stronger than he looked.

Laughing, Shiro curled into a downright position and swiped up the ball beneath him, lobbing it in Keith’s direction again. The kid was grinning as he dived, snatching up another ball and pelting it at Shiro.

Shiro dodged, wagging a finger teasingly. “Nu-uh, not this time, kid!”

He threw two balls in Keith’s direction, the boy positively swooping out of their path to avoid being hit. The momentum sent him flying to the floor before bouncing back up, grabbing a ball on the way that he threw at Shiro before even drawing level with him. 

The ball smacked off Shiro’s legs, and he kicked at it, deliberately sending himself spinning into the air with a “whoops!” and feeling a thrill of delight when he heard Keith snort out a laugh. The kid was actually _enjoying_ himself!

The balls flew thick and fast after that, both Shiro and Keith taking a few hits; although Shiro was careful to ensure none of his throws were strong enough to hurt the kid. Within twenty minutes, they were both panting hard. Playing dodgeball in zero-g was more tiring than it looked.

“Okay, I give up!” Shiro laughed, both hands in the air after another smack to the back. “You win! Truce?”

Keith grinned at him over the basketball he was holding and nodded.

“Alright, Commander,” Shiro called. “I think we’re ready to come out now.”

The balls, Shiro, and Keith all dropped as the door slid open. “Woah!” Shiro yelped, covering his head as the balls bounced wildly all around them. He’d forgotten they did that once the gravity was switched back on. Beside him, Keith laughed and ducked a basketball.

“You two exhausted me just looking at you!” Commander Holt proclaimed, catching a basketball as it bounced out the door. 

“Who won?” Shiro demanded jokingly, sweeping up two basketballs. Keith collected the other two.

“You were both rather fierce,” Commander Holt replied. “But I’m pretty sure Keith kicked your butt, Shiro.”

Keith shrugged. “Only because he wasn’t throwing as hard as he could have. I think he was afraid of hurting me.”

“Hey, I did not take it easy on you,” Shiro objected, grinning and wagging a finger. He was a little impressed the kid had noticed he was holding back…until he realized Keith had an intimate knowledge of what real violence entailed. For kids like that, reading body language became second nature to survive. Shiro felt his smile drop before quickly plastering it onto his face again. “I don’t know about you, but I’m parched. Wanna grab a drink from the cafeteria?”

Keith nodded, but the commander shook his head. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to leave you boys to it. I’ve got work to do, and I think I’ve played enough hooky for one day. You know, being in charge is hard when you have to be all _responsible_.” He rolled his eyes, before winking at Keith. 

The boy gave him a small but genuine smile.

Shiro hid a smile of his own. He knew Commander Holt was a family man, but he hadn’t realized just how good he was with kids until today.

“It was great seeing you again, Keith,” Commander Holt continued, holding out his hand. “And if you decide you want to apply to the Garrison, come talk to me. I’ll help you in whatever way I can.”

“Thanks,” Keith murmured, shaking his hand.

The commander smiled at him, before throwing a “see you later, Shiro!” over his shoulder and leaving.

Shiro looked at Keith. “Come on, let’s put these balls away and go get a drink.” 

They tidied away the balls and put their shoes back on. Shiro handed Keith his jacket and they set off for the cafeteria. 

“Did you enjoy that?” Shiro asked.

Keith nodded, and Shiro feared he was retreating into himself again until he asked, “But it’s not always like that here, right? I mean, you actually have to do classes and stuff too?”

“Right. Would you like me to tell you about the classes?”

“Okay.”

Shiro quickly launched into an explanation of the Garrison’s curriculum. 

He had just finished listing all the subjects offered when they reached the cafeteria. “I’m starving,” Shiro declared. “I think I’ll grab a snack. What would you like?”

Keith glanced at the food on display before shaking his head. “I’m not hungry.”

Shiro laughed. “You can’t be ‘not hungry’ after that! I’m getting you a snack, so you may as well tell me what you want… The food’s free for officers,” he added, when it clicked for him what the problem might be.

“Oh.” Keith glanced towards the deli. “A sandwich, please.”

“What kind of filling?”

“I don’t mind.”

Shiro didn’t push him. “Okay. You grab that table and I’ll be over in a few minutes.”

With so many cadets and officers away, the cafeteria was practically deserted. Shiro was relieved. It would give him a chance to talk to Keith uninterrupted. Loading up his tray with sandwiches, water, and a few cookies, he made his way over to where the boy was sitting.

“I got chicken and cheese,” Shiro said, sitting opposite Keith and offering him the sandwich. “Hope that’s okay.”

Keith nodded and took the sandwich. “Thanks.”

They ate in silence for several minutes, before Keith put his sandwich down. “Can I…can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” 

“Why did you become a pilot?”

Shiro raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected that question. 

“You don’t have to tell me,” Keith added hurriedly. 

“No, it’s okay. Just don’t be disappointed if the answer is lamer than you were expecting.”

Keith’s lips quirked in a smile.

“I’ve always loved space,” Shiro admitted. “Ever since I was a kid, all I wanted to do was go into space. Being a pilot for the Garrison let me do that.”

“But what about flying?” asked Keith. “Don’t you like it?”

“I love it. I just didn’t realize how much I’d love it until I actually started learning how to fly.”

“Me neither,” Keith admitted in a soft voice.

“Does that mean you’ll consider applying to the Garrison?” Shiro asked gently.

“I don’t know. Maybe.” A pause. Then, “What’s space like?”

“Space?” Shiro blinked. “Space is…big, dark. Quiet. Much quieter than Earth. The silence can be a little deafening sometimes. But you never get tired of it – that view when I break Earth’s atmosphere still takes my breath away, even now.”

Keith was watching him closely, those strange, violet eyes wide and interested. Shiro shook himself, remembering he was talking to a kid. “Sorry. That was probably a little weird.”

“No. It sounds nice. I like quiet.”

They lapsed back into silence to finish their sandwiches. When Keith pushed his plate away, Shiro nudged two of the cookies towards him. Kid needed fattening up. Keith took the cookies with a shy smile.

Shiro wanted to break the silence, to keep Keith talking. He didn’t want to mention the Garrison again in case Keith thought that was the only reason he was interested in him, so he decided on another topic. One he’d been thinking about for the last two days. “Hey, Keith, how would you like to learn some self-defence?”

Keith blinked, then frowned. “Self-defence?”

Shiro nodded. “I saw what those boys did the day your school was here. Not to mention what happened outside the store with my bike. And that’s a nasty black eye you’ve got. If you’re having trouble with bullies, I could teach you how to defend yourself.”

He didn’t mention Greg Jansen. Shiro had seen how Keith’s gaze dropped at the mention of his eye.

“I can handle it,” said Keith quietly. 

For a kid who was supposed to be such a hot-head, Shiro thought he was awfully soft-spoken. “I’m not saying you can’t. But sometimes self-defence can get you out of a bad situation before it gets worse, especially against a bigger opponent.”

The hulking frame of Greg Jansen flashed through Shiro’s mind. It didn’t matter what Keith said, he most definitely couldn’t handle that. “It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or complicated,” he continued. “You’d be surprised at how much a few simple moves can help.”

Keith stayed silent, biting his lip and tugging at the cuffs of his jacket. Finally, he nodded. “Okay.”

Shiro hid his relief. 

“How…where would you teach me?” Keith asked. 

“We wouldn’t be able to use the gym here – that’s for cadets and officers only. But I teach judo at a gym near your school sometimes, we could train there?”

“Okay,” Keith agreed. 

“We could start this Tuesday?” Shiro suggested, when Keith didn’t say anything else. He wasn’t letting the boy out of here without setting up another meeting. “I could meet you there after school?”

Keith stared at him, clearly thinking, before nodding. “Okay.” In a quieter voice he added, “Thanks.”

“It’s no problem.”

“Um…” Keith glanced at the clock on the cafeteria wall. “I should probably get going. I promised Kara I’d be back for lunch.”

“Do you need a ride?”

Keith shook his head quickly. “I’ll take the bus.”

It occurred to Shiro that Keith had probably lied to his foster parents about where he was going. “Okay. Well then, I guess I’ll see you Tuesday.”

“Yeah. And…thanks. For today, I mean. I had fun.”

Shiro smiled warmly. “I’m glad.”

Keith gave him a small smile in return before leaving.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter is really violent at the end and the story gets extremely dark from here on out. Just a heads up.
> 
> Also, sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up but I've caught up with my beta (the very awesome HaleyKim) on edited chapters, so I'm posting literally as soon as I've gotten the chapters back from her now. I also want to thank her because Kim is AWESOME and I am so lucky to have her as a beta. 
> 
> Last, thanks to all the amazing people who commented or left kudos. It really makes my day and I appreciate it hugely. I haven't responded to all comments in kind because I've noticed that my replies show up in the comments, and I kinda feel like that's misleading for the people searching for stories via the comments filter. Anyone know what the etiquette is on that for A03?

By the time they arrived at Domeer, Allura had contacted all the planets in the solar system.

Shiro had been relieved when they all responded to their hailing frequencies, leaving only Domeer unaccounted for. He didn’t think he could take the guilt of discovering another planet had been wiped out by the Rykurians. 

However, the planet Kovac had also been attacked by the Govnex and the Rykurians. As a warrior planet with advanced technology and an entire order of magically powerful priests, they had managed to fight them off. But victory had not come without casualties; the king’s daughter and her entire fleet had perished fighting against the Rykurian battleships, and the king was practically feral with grief and rage. He had agreed to send a few Kovacian ships to defend some of the weaker planets in this solar system once they had finished fortifying their own planet’s defences, but only after Allura had promised to give him a chance at vengeance against the Govnex and Rykurians. The other planets were also doing what they could to defend their own inhabitants against an attack.

The attack on Kovac had provided more information about the Rykurians’ movements, but it wasn’t until the inhabitants of Sovita – a small moon on the edge of the solar system – told them they witnessed several Rykurian battleships enter the solar system over a month ago that they were able to establish an accurate timeline for the attacks.

It didn’t help with figuring out how they were controlling the Govnex though.

“Why do you think the Rykurians didn’t attack Sovita?” Shiro wondered aloud, watching Coran scan the planet Domeer for signs of life. “It would have been an easy target; they wouldn’t even have needed the Govnex.”

Allura considered that, frowning. “They may not have wanted to warn Armillion by attacking its moon first. Why risk letting the big geeamper get away for the sake of the little one?”

“You wanna explain that for the earthling, Princess?” 

“Sovita’s mining colony is newly established, with barely a handful of people on its surface. Armillion would have guaranteed a far greater bounty for the Rykurians’ greedy appetites.”

Shiro shuddered, sickened. “How greedy do you have to be to eat an entire planet in less than a month!”

Allura blinked. “What?”

“Well, we scanned Armillion when we passed and there were no signs of life. So, unless its people are shielding themselves, that must mean they’re all dead, right?”

Allura looked thoughtful. “Devouring an entire populace in that length of time seems extreme, even for the Rykurians.”

“What are you thinking?”

“The Rykurians only eat live meat. They must have taken the Armillions they did not eat prisoner.”

“Giving them access to fresh meat any time they need it,” Shiro concluded, revulsion rising in his throat. These aliens were even worse than the Galra – at least they didn’t eat their prisoners! “We need to rescue those people.”

“I agree. But we need to turn Keith back first. If we cannot establish how the Rykurians are controlling the Govnex, we will never defeat them without Voltron.”

Shiro sighed. After seeing the carnage left by the Rykurians in this solar system alone, he understood that they didn’t have the luxury of being cautious when it came to turning Keith back. It was a disturbing realization, but he still wasn’t ready to experiment on Keith without at least _trying_ to get the Govnex on their side.

Side-tracking the conversation from where he knew Allura wanted to take it, Shiro turned to Coran. “Did the scanners pick up anything on Domeer?”

“Many of its cities have been levelled,” Coran answered, his face sad. “There are still Domeerians on its surface, but far less than there should be. There is also a Rykurian battleship and maybe fifty or more Rykurians.”

“Any sign of the Govnex?” Allura demanded.

“None, Princess.”

“We need to rescue those people.” She activated the intercom. “Paladins, I need you to come to the bridge at once.”

“Princess, you can’t go down there without Voltron,” Coran protested. “What if the Govnex returns? We barely defeated it the first time.”

“Innocent lives are at stake, Coran. We must protect them.”

“Allura’s right,” said Shiro. “We can’t let more innocent people die.”

“But you don’t even have all the lions,” Coran pointed out. “How will you take out the Rykurians?”

“We didn’t have all the lions before and we defeated two battleships as well as the Govnex,” Shiro countered. “We can do this.”

Coran sighed. “What’s your plan?”

“Destroy that battleship before the Rykurians can get it in the air,” Shiro replied. “After that, we can use the lions to take out any remaining Rykurians on the surface. We don’t need to engage them in close combat this time.”

“Perhaps destroying the battleship is not the way to go,” said Allura.

Shiro whipped his head around. “What?! Allura, why would we not destroy it?”

“Because we may be able to use its technology to discover how they are controlling the Govnex. At the very least, we could gather intelligence on their movements.”  
Shiro conceded the point. “Then how do we stop it from flying without blowing it up completely?”

Coran brought up an image of the ship on the castle’s screens. “If you take out the engine on its starboard side and disable the main thrusters on its tail before it can take off, the ship won’t be able to get off the ground.”

Shiro studied the ship. “That could work. And if we slice the main fuel line under the hull, the Rykurians will have to divert power from most of its systems, weakening them.”

“You should take out the front mounted canon first,” Allura suggested. “That is the ship’s most powerful canon and it will be far easier to attack the ship if it is disabled.”

“Good idea,” said Shiro. “Pidge can slip in while the Green Lion is cloaked to take out the canon. If the rest of us move straight in and attack in tandem, we should be able to disable the ship before the Rykurians can even react.”

“What’s going on?” came Lance’s voice, and they turned to see the other paladins enter the bridge, Keith trailing after them.

“More Rykurians,” Shiro replied. “They’ve attacked another planet.”

“Again?” cried Lance. “Man, I really _hate_ these guys!”

“Do we have to fight them again?” Hunk asked, looking nervous.

“It won’t be anything like last time,” Shiro reassured him. “The Govnex isn’t here and we’re going to stay in our lions. Pidge, how’s the Black Lion?” Her presence was once more nudging at his head, although something still felt a little off.

“She’s working, but not back to full power yet. The Govnex shredded her shields when it hit you. I don’t know how that strike didn’t obliterate you and Keith.”

Shiro glanced at Keith, who was standing to the side with his arms crossed, watching them all with an impassive expression. “I think Black put all her power into protecting us and it left her vulnerable. Will she fly?”

“Yeah, but her navigation system still needs work, so you won’t have a lot of manoeuvrability,” Pidge replied.

“As long as I can fire, it won’t be a problem.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Lance wanted to know.

“There is one Rykurian battleship on Domeer,” Shiro replied. “We need to disable it, but not take it out.”

“Um…why?” Hunk asked.

“We need to access its tech to find out how the Rykurians are controlling the Govnex,” Shiro explained. “Or at the very least, get some intel on their movements.”

“Also, there are now several Domeerian prisoners on the ship,” Coran added. “The Rykurians just brought them in.”

“So, they are taking prisoners alive!” Shiro growled, clenching his prosthetic.

Pidge frowned. “Why are they taking prisoners? I thought Rykurians were cannibals?”

“They are,” Allura answered, “but they only eat live meat and taking prisoners ensures a fresh supply of food.”

“Urgh!” Lance made a disgusted face. “Talk about the most disturbing meals on wheels ever.”

“You know, these aliens really make me lose my appetite,” Hunk complained.

“How are we going to disable the ship without hurting the prisoners?” Pidge asked. 

“You’re going to fly in while cloaked and take out the front canon, here,” Shiro answered, pointing at the screen. “As soon as you’ve done that, the rest of us will attack simultaneously. Lance, I want you to cut the fuel line running beneath the hull. Hunk, use your canon to destroy this engine on the starboard side of the ship.” 

Lance glanced at him. “What about you? You’re not actually going onto the ship to rescue those prisoners, are you?”

Keith jerked and stared at Shiro, who quickly shook his head. “I’m going to destroy the thrusters at the back. It’s pretty much just a brute strength task since Black isn’t capable of precision flying right now.”

Lance looked confused. “But then how do we get the prisoners?”

“It’s going to be a slow rescue,” Shiro admitted. “Once we’ve disabled the ship to prevent it from flying, you guys take out its other three canons. After that, I want you to fire on the ship – not enough to cause structural damage, just enough to lure the Rykurians out so we can take them down. There are currently too many onboard to risk engaging in hand to hand.”

“The prisoners are being kept in this area,” Coran added, zooming in on a small zone to the front of the ship. “So, you can attack anywhere except here.”

“Once we’ve lured enough Rykurians out of the ship that we can take the rest down ourselves, we can enter and free the prisoners,” Shiro finished.

“And when you enter the ship, Coran and I will provide covering fire in case any more Rykurians appear,” Allura told them.

“Now, let’s go save these people,” said Shiro. “Everyone, you know what to do.”

As the other paladins headed for their lions, Keith stepped towards him, but Shiro shook his head. “Keith, you need to stay here. This is too dangerous.”

“But I can help,” Keith protested. “I know how to fight.”

“Not this kind of fighting,” Shiro disagreed gently. “I’m sorry, buddy; this isn’t up for negotiation.”

Stepping onto the platform that brought him down to the Black Lion’s hangar, Shiro felt a twinge at the hurt and anger on Keith’s face. He knew he was doing the right thing – the boy was too young for this fight – but he also understood Keith’s problem. The boy was feeling rejected because he knew Shiro was aware of how capable a fighter he really was.

Shiro was the one who had taught him to fight after all.

oOo

_Planet Earth, 2090_ …

Shiro was relieved when Keith showed up at the gym on Tuesday afternoon. He’d been less nervous about a no-show than Saturday morning, but there were still no guarantees with this kid.

“Hi, Keith,” he greeted, smiling and gesturing to the man behind the desk. “This is my friend, Tony. He owns this gym.”

“Hey, kid,” said Tony, offering his hand to Keith over the top of the desk. “Nice to meet ya.”

“Hi,” replied Keith, taking the proffered hand. His little one was immediately swallowed in Tony’s massive paw.

“You don’t worry nothing ‘bout self-defence with Shiro here, okay?” said Tony in his thick, Brooklyn accent. “He’s the best damn teacher I know.”

Keith just nodded.

Tony grinned at him before turning to Shiro. “There’s a yoga class in the back room, so I cleared a space for ya in the warm-up area.”

“Great. Thanks, Tony. C’mon, Keith.”

Shiro made his way over to the warm-up zone, Keith trailing behind him. The gym was mercifully quiet, its only other occupants a woman pounding the treadmill and a souped-up beefcake lifting weights – too busy checking himself out in the mirrors to notice them. Shiro was relieved. He had a feeling Keith would have baulked if they’d had an audience.

“I’m gonna keep it simple for today, okay?” he told Keith.

The boy nodded.

“Okay, take your jacket off and we’ll start. You can put it on that bench over there.” Shiro pointed to the bench by the wall, and watched as Keith shrugged out of his jacket – another long-sleeved tee beneath it – and tossed it onto the bench. 

Returning to Shiro, he looked up at him expectantly. 

“First rule of self-defence,” Shiro began, “is to run if you can. Seriously,” he added, at a sceptical look from Keith, “prevention is the best defence. I know you’re fast, so if you’re in a bad situation and you can get yourself out of there, do it.”

Still looking sceptical, Keith nodded. 

“If running isn’t an option, and depending on the situation, your next move is to make noise. Shout at your attacker and push them away. This attracts attention and it lets an attacker know you’re not an easy target…it might also alert your teachers to the fact that your classmates are the ones starting fights, not you,” Shiro couldn’t resist adding.

Keith’s mouth tightened, but he stayed silent. 

Shiro sighed and studied him knowingly. “But that tactic only works if you’re in a public area where people can help you.” 

Keith narrowed his eyes.

Shiro wished he could tell Keith he knew about Jansen, but he still didn’t know him well enough to be certain that he wouldn’t bolt. _Baby steps_ , he reminded himself. “And that brings us to physically defending yourself. The most important thing to remember when someone attacks you is that you need to act fast, especially against a bigger opponent. Do everything you can to inflict injury and get away. Aim for the eyes, nose, neck, groin, and legs.”

“Why those parts?” 

“Because those are the areas where you can do the most damage with the minimum amount of effort. Take the eyes for example. If you gouge, poke or scratch an attacker’s eyes, it’s not only painful, it’ll temporarily blind them so you can get away. And that is always your aim – getting away. It’s not about staying to win the fight.”

Keith nodded.

“Now,” Shiro continued, “if an attacker is close in front of you, use the heel of your palm to strike up under his nose, like this.” He made a movement with his hand. “Throw your whole body weight up into the move to cause the most pain. If an attacker is behind you, use your elbow. Your elbows are one of the hardest areas of your body and will inflict the most pain or damage. Same thing applies to your knees and head. Got it?”

Keith nodded again. 

“Good. Any questions so far?”

“Um…should it hurt when you punch someone?”

Shiro raised an eyebrow. “Well, depending on how hard you hit, it shouldn’t hurt too much. Show me your fists.”

Keith complied.

Shiro bit back a groan. With all the fighting Keith did, how had he never broken his thumbs? “No, take your thumbs out. You hit something hard with them tucked in like that and you’ll break them.”

“I’ve never broken them before,” Keith blurted, seemingly before he could stop himself. 

“Then you’ve been lucky,” replied Shiro gently. 

Cheeks pink, Keith took his thumbs out.

“Okay, wrap your thumb across the bottom of your curled fingers, like this,” said Shiro, demonstrating. “You want to keep your fists tight, but not so tight that you start cutting off circulation.”

Keith imitated him.

“Good,” Shiro praised. “Now, when you’re throwing a punch, hold your arm straight out like this.” He demonstrated again, then watched Keith try it.

“No, not quite like that,” he said, taking Keith’s arm and positioning it correctly. “Hit with your knuckles, not the flat of your hand. And you want the front two knuckles lined up with the bones in your forearm because you hit with them. These are your strongest knuckles, meaning you’re less likely to break your hand than if you hit someone with the pinky knuckles.”

“You keep talking about breaking bones, I thought this was supposed to be about self-defence?” Keith complained.

Shiro laughed. “It is, but proper technique protects you and puts more power behind your punch.” 

Keith still didn’t look convinced. 

“Okay, I’ll show you. C’mere.” Shiro led Keith over to the punching bag. Positioning himself behind it, Shiro gripped the bag tightly. “Hit this as hard as you can the way you’ve always punched.”

Keith hit the punching bag. 

“Again,” Shiro told him. 

Looking vexed, Keith did so, then grimaced and shook his hand out.

Shiro hid a grin. “Okay, now hit the bag the way I showed you.” 

Keith complied, and the wallop sent the bag slamming back into Shiro’s chest. Keith’s face showed clear surprise at the result.

“How did that feel?” Shiro asked.

“Better,” Keith admitted.

“See? It didn’t hurt your hand as much, but it gave your punch more power. Show me your fist again.”

Keith did so, and Shiro corrected a few details before giving some pointers on the best places to hit. “Aim for the chest if you’re in front, and ribs from the side. If you’re hitting the face, aim for the nose not the jaw. Hitting the jaw is more likely to–”

“Break your hand, I _know_ ,” Keith interrupted in exasperation.

Shiro ignored the burst of attitude. “When you punch, you want to keep your movements tight, so punch from beside your face, like this.” He demonstrated once before indicating for Keith to do the same. 

After that, Shiro explained stance, foot placement and keeping hands up in a defensive position, demonstrating and getting Keith to imitate him. He corrected any errors before letting Keith have another run at the punching bag. The kid was a quick study, his punches surprisingly powerful considering his small size.

Watching him, Shiro had the sudden, disconcerting thought that maybe he shouldn’t have taught a boy so prone to fighting with other kids how to hit harder. 

Squatting down in front of Keith, Shiro looked him in the eye. “I want you to promise me you won’t use these moves on another kid, no matter how mad they make you.”

Keith scowled. “I thought I was learning to defend myself?”

“You are. But these moves can cause serious damage. I want you to use them _only_ in a situation where you clearly need to protect yourself. A bunch of little jerks calling you names doesn’t qualify. In that instance, walk away.”

“Walk away?!”

“Yes. Any moron can fight, it takes a real man to walk away from one.”

His words made Keith pause, then frown. “What if the kid is hitting me?”

“There are moves I can show you that will take them down without hurting them. But,” Shiro glanced at his watch, “it’s a bit late for that now. I’ll show you the next evening, okay?”

Keith nodded and Shiro smiled. “Nice job on your first lesson. You want to grab a milkshake from the diner across the street to celebrate?”

“I can’t,” Keith replied, voice quiet. “My curfew is at four.”

Shiro made a note to finish the next lesson earlier. “Do you need a ride?”

“No, I’m good.” He shuffled awkwardly before adding, “Thanks for the lesson.”

Shiro smiled. “My pleasure. Same time Friday afternoon for our next one?”

“Um…okay.”

“See you then, Keith.”

The kid left, and Shiro made his way over to Tony to thank him for the use of the gym.

“Eh, don’t mention it,” the big man replied, waving his hand. Then he gave Shiro an appraising look. “Those were some pretty heavy moves ya showed the kid. Seemed a bit much for dealin’ with some schoolyard bully.”

Shiro sighed. He should have known Tony would watch. “Between you and me, I think that kid is dealing with a lot more than schoolyard bullies.”

Tony’s face hardened. “Ya think someone’s slappin’ him around?”

“I have my suspicions.”

“Then report it, man! The police can do something about shit like that.”

Shiro shook his head. “It’s a complicated situation. I could make things worse.”

“It don’t come much worse than slappin’ a kid around,” Tony replied sourly.

“I know. But I’m working on something I hope will help…not the self-defence,” he added, at a look from Tony. “Those are last resort moves that I hope he’ll never have to use.”

“Then ya’d better work quick, Shiro, ‘cause that shit can get ugly.”

Shiro didn’t respond. That was his fear too.

oOo

“Canon disabled,” Pidge’s voice broke into Shiro’s thoughts.

“Move in, guys,” Shiro ordered, immediately flying for the battleship’s thrusters. His lion wasn’t flying as smoothly as usual – there was a slight drag to the throttle, along with the occasional, sporadic jerk from Black.

But he managed to manoeuvre around the canon fire coming his way and blasted for all he was worth at the thrusters. After several hits, they exploded, bits of burning metal dropping to the ground beneath them.

“Thrusters are down,” he announced, retreating a little and providing cover for Hunk, who was having trouble bypassing the canons to get to the engine on the ship’s starboard. 

“That’s a ditto on the fuel line,” Lance added, flying up from beside the ship and immediately taking out the central canon, allowing Hunk to reach the main engine and begin firing on it. 

Shiro sighed in relief. He hadn’t dared fire at that canon while his lion’s navigation systems were shot – it was too near where the prisoners were being held. 

While Pidge and Lance handled the final two canons, Shiro fired at the few Rykurians disembarking from the battleship. He couldn’t decide if they were stupid or fearless taking on a lion with nothing but blasters, probably both.

“Engine is offline,” Hunk told them, as the battleship attempted to take off.

Shiro watched it hover for a few seconds, shudder violently, and then crash back onto the ground. The ship wasn’t going anywhere. “Alright everyone, strategic fire to lure the Rykurians out.”

The paladins, minus Shiro, began firing on the battleship. He focused instead on blasting the Rykurians now pouring out its doors – like rats fleeing a sinking ship.

When he had taken down the last Rykurian, Shiro contacted the castle. “Coran, how many Rykurians are left onboard?”

“Twenty, maybe more? I can’t get an exact read because most of them are clustered where the prisoners are.”

Shiro’s heart sank. “That means they’ve figured out our plan. Are all the Rykurians with the prisoners?”

“No. The scanners show five still left on the bridge, and there are a few individual Rykurians scattered around the ship.”

“That leaves maybe fifteen with the prisoners,” Shiro concluded. “Pidge, fly towards the bridge and see if you can take out the Rykurians stationed there through its windows. Lance, Hunk, time to land. We’re going in before they kill the prisoners.”

“Oh, this’ll be fun,” declared Lance sarcastically, while Hunk groaned.

“Coran,” said Shiro, landing his lion, “monitor the ship. If any Rykurians come within firing distance of Pidge’s lion, let her know. And if anything changes on the other Rykurians’ locations, let us know.”

“I will.” The Altean sounded apprehensive. “But be careful, Shiro. No one has ever stepped foot on a Rykurian battleship and lived to tell the tale.”

“ _Coran!_ ” Hunk wailed. “Why would you say that when we’re about to enter the death ship?!”

“We’ll be fine, Hunk,” Shiro reassured him. “There were more Rykurians in that square back on Dovarian than there are on this ship.”

“Yeah, but we had a lion overhead covering us,” Hunk pointed out. 

“The lion will still be covering us. Just…from outside.”

“That doesn’t help.”

“Sorry, Hunk.”

The yellow paladin sighed. “Let’s get this over with.”

Shiro exited his lion at the same time as Hunk. Lance was just landing the Blue Lion. All three of them gathered several feet from the battleship’s entrance. 

“Bayards out,” Shiro said. “And stay alert, they know this ship better than we do.”

They had to tread carefully on the steps up to the doors, as they were damaged by the paladins’ attacks on the ship. Holes peppered the metal in several places, while the steps groaned intermittently beneath their weight, making Hunk whimper. But they reached the entrance without the rickety stairs giving way.

Cautiously, Shiro peered into the ship’s hallway. It was dark, with yellow lights flickering. There was no sign of any Rykurians lurking in the gloom, but he wasn’t taking any chances. Activating his Galra arm, he stepped into the hall, Hunk and Lance right behind him.

They stayed close together, moving down the darkened corridor to where the prisoners were being held, and within minutes heard Rykurians snarling.

“Five Rykurians are heading your way,” Coran’s voice warned. 

He had no sooner spoken than the aliens came into view. Hunk and Lance opened fire as the Rykurians raced towards them, bringing down all but one before they could reach them. Shiro brought down the last one using his Galra arm. 

“Shiro,” Coran spoke again, “Pidge managed to take out three of the Rykurians on the bridge, but the other two escaped. They’re heading straight for you, and they have blasters.”

That news made Shiro nervous. The Rykurians were vicious enough without being armed as well. Beside him, he could sense Hunk trembling and asked, “What direction are they coming from Coran?”

“The upper deck. And they’re converging with other Rykurians. It looks like they’re trying to come down on you from above.”

“Can you tell where exactly?”

“Sorry, Shiro. The scanners can’t tell if a ship has been modified from the inside, I don’t know if there are any drop points from the upper levels.”

“Okay, Coran, just keep an eye on them and let us know when they’re close. Lance, keep your bayard up – if they drop on us suddenly, you’ll need to react fast.”

Lance nodded. 

Moving down the hall, Shiro listened carefully. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear screams and the sound of snarling. His blood ran cold. “I think they’re attacking the prisoners! We have to move!”

The paladins broke into a run. They were almost to the prison quarters when two things happened: Shiro heard metal crunch overhead and Coran screamed down the comms.

“ABOVE YOU! THEY’RE ABOVE YOU!”

The ceiling blasted apart, metal and debris raining down on top of them. Instinctively covering his head, Shiro heard rather than saw the snarling bodies dropping down.

Rykurians.

“FIRE!” he yelled, as huge, hulking figures charged through the debris cloud floating around them. 

Hunk and Lance began to blast at the aliens, who immediately returned fire, forcing all three paladins to duck or flatten against the walls. Shiro barely had a chance to process what was happening when a massive, snarling shadow jumped him from the left. 

Pain erupted in his left side as something tore through his undersuit and Shiro yelled, lashing out with his prosthetic and hitting something solid. Through its purple glow in the darkened hallway, he caught a glimpse of sharp teeth and punched out again. The sensation of his fist breaking through bone was sickeningly familiar as the Rykurian dropped.

The noise from the paladin and Rykurian blasters echoed deafeningly in the enclosed space. That, combined with the darkness and still-settling debris cloud, made it difficult to tell where exactly the Rykurians were, and Shiro only heard the snarl behind him at the last second. He turned just as a huge form hit him. They went down in a tangle of snapping teeth and flailing arms. 

Claws scratched against the armour on his chest as the alien tried to tear Shiro apart. Its error gave Shiro the chance to drive his arm up into its stomach. The Rykurian let out a frightening screech and jerked several times, still trying to claw at Shiro, before collapsing on top of him. 

Shoving the limp form off him, Shiro scrambled to his feet, yelling, “HUNK! LANCE!”

“Here!” Lance’s voice sounded somewhere to his left. 

“DID WE GET ‘EM?! DID WE GET ‘EM?!” Hunk screamed from behind Shiro.

“NO!” Lance yelled, as snarling sounds continued to close in around them.

The debris cloud was settling somewhat, allowing Shiro to get a clearer look at his surroundings…just in time to see a large form prowling towards the blue paladin. 

“LANCE! ON YOUR LEFT!” he screamed.

The teenager swung swiftly, firing at the approaching figure and causing it to drop. Behind Shiro, Hunk’s bayard was also going off, while a growl charged towards Shiro from the right. The black paladin had a split second to react before the Rykurian was on him, the disturbingly familiar sound of its snapping teeth loud in his ear.

Shiro activated his arm once more and drove it through the alien’s chest, feeling sick to his very core. He knew this was a fight for their lives and that the Rykurians were savage monsters, but it didn’t lessen his disgust at inflicting such violence with his bare hands.

“I think that’s all of them,” Lance’s voice drifted across the darkness.

“SHIRO!” Pidge screamed, nearly deafening them all. “HUNK! LANCE!”

“We’re okay,” said Shiro wearily. 

“Barely,” Hunk added, voice shaking. 

“Coran, how many Rykurians are left on the ship?” Shiro asked. He wasn’t sure if he was up to another fight like that one. His side felt like it was on fire and he could feel the sting of various scratches across his arms and torso.

The Altean’s voice was shaking when he responded. “Not many, maybe six or seven. But they’re killing prisoners!”

That was all Shiro needed to forget his pain. “Let’s go!”

Racing for the prison quarters, the sound of screaming became unbearable as they drew closer. Rounding a corner, they came upon two Rykurians feeding on a small orange alien, who was screaming and writhing beneath them.

Fury exploded inside Shiro and he pelted towards the Rykurians, taking one’s head clean off. Blaster fire dropped the other one. Dragging the Rykurians off the little alien, Shiro thought he might vomit at the sight below him.

The alien had literally been torn open, its flesh hanging in shreds from its torso, organs visible beneath the damage. The alien, and the ground surrounding it, was covered in a white, viscous fluid that Shiro guessed was the equivalent of blood for its kind.

A splattering sound hit the ground behind him, followed by Hunk moaning.

“Okay, it’s okay,” Shiro tried to speak soothingly, dropping to his knees beside the alien. “You’re safe now and we’re going to get you in a pod and heal you right up. It’s okay.”

The alien made a gargling sound, white fluid spurting from its mouth. Then it stiffened in clear agony, hands scrabbling at the ground, a moan gurgling in its throat. On the other side of the alien, Lance knelt and carefully took its hand. The blue paladin’s own hands were shaking and he was pale, a thin trickle of blood visible beneath his helmet. For some reason, he started making gentle, shushing noises at the alien. 

Shiro frowned at him. “Lance, what–?”

“Quiet, Shiro,” commanded Lance in a soft voice, before humming and caressing the alien’s hand.

The alien, its little body jerking on the ground, stared up at Lance. More white blood trickled from its mouth and it whimpered, a sound that cut Shiro to his very soul. They needed to get this little guy to a pod! But as Lance shushed and hummed at it, the alien’s body slowly stopped jerking and its eyes started to flutter.

It was then Shiro understood. 

The alien was dying; there was nothing they could do for it. Its damaged organs would spill through those horrific wounds if they moved it, and likely cause the poor creature horrific pain. Lance had seen this instantly and was trying to give the alien some comfort during its last moments.

Shiro stared at the blue paladin with a new-found respect.

The little alien’s body stopped jerking and its eyes slid closed, before stopping breathing on a loud exhale.

“Lance–” Shiro began.

“I want to end these Rykurians,” Lance growled, placing the alien’s hand gently back on the floor. 

“Then let’s do it,” said Shiro grimly, getting to his feet and ignoring the pain in his side. He could feel blood trickling beneath his torn undersuit, but he would take care of it after they had destroyed the Rykurians.

Glancing at Hunk, he saw that the yellow paladin’s face was wet with tears, a pool of vomit on the ground beside him. “You okay, Hunk?”

Hunk shook his head and moved silently towards the cells. Lance and Shiro followed him. 

They found four Rykurians pulling prisoners from their cells and beheading them in the corridors. Several tiny, orange bodies were scattered on the ground. 

When the paladins appeared, the Rykurians dropped the prisoners they were dragging out and raced towards them, snarling. Shiro didn’t bother activating his arm because Hunk and Lance’s bayards rose on either side of him, blasting hard and fast at the Rykurians. All four aliens went down less than six feet from the paladins.

“Coran, are there any Rykurians left on the ship?” Shiro asked quietly.

“None,” came the response. “You’ve done it, Paladins.”

Shiro looked at the sea of frightened faces peering at them through cell bars and thought of the little alien dead in the hallway. 

Somehow, it didn’t feel like they had done anything at all.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thanks to all the amazing people who left feedback and kudos. I know I sound like a broken record, but I really do appreciate it. Also, huge thank you to everyone who answered my question about responding to comments, especially Zenthisoror. It was really helpful. :)

_Planet Earth, 2090_ …

Shiro spent their next lesson on non-violent takedown manoeuvres, aimed at deflecting attacks from weaker or equally matched opponents. He wanted Keith to be able to defend himself, but he also owed it to the other kids in his class to make sure Keith wouldn’t hurt them…no matter how rotten the little jerks were being.

These tactics meant more physical contact during the lesson, and Shiro was once again troubled by how skinny Keith was, just skin stretched over bone. It made him feel breakable. 

Not that Keith seemed to consider himself in any way fragile as evidenced by his fighting style: a ferocious mixture of offence, aggression and sharp edges. The kid was tough and deceptively strong, but that knowledge did nothing to alleviate Shiro’s concerns. Greg Jansen still had size and brute strength on his side.

But Shiro was pleased by how Keith responded to the lesson. The instincts he displayed as a pilot also made him a quick and reactive fighter, able to read the moves Shiro telegraphed before he even made them, and respond instantly. 

Shiro couldn’t help but wonder if those instincts were a natural ability or a survival tool that was a product of his upbringing.

Determined to get Keith across the road to the diner, he ended the lesson earlier than their previous one. The lessons were a great way to show Keith that he wanted to help him, but they didn’t allow for conversation, which Shiro needed if he was to ever get the kid to open up.

“You wanna have that milkshake today?” he asked, handing Keith a drink from the gym’s water cooler. “I promise you’ll be home before curfew,” he added, before Keith could refuse. “But you really need to try Luigi’s milkshakes – they’re the best in town.”

Keith raised his eyebrows in obvious scepticism and Shiro laughed. 

“Fine. But if you don’t believe me, then at least give me the chance to prove I’m right.” He had a feeling challenging Keith was the best way to get him to agree. From what little he knew about the kid, he was sure he wouldn’t back down.

Sure enough, Keith hesitated, frowned, then nodded. “Okay.”

Shiro smiled. “Excellent. Come on.”

After saying goodbye to Tony, Shiro led the way across the street. He pulled open the door and Keith walked in, Shiro hanging back to let an elderly couple exit first. He entered the diner just in time to hear the shout of, “Yo, freak! They don’t let losers like you in here!”

A round of laughter exploded from the nearest booth. Four boys were sitting there and Shiro only realized they were addressing Keith when the boy jerked in their direction.

Reacting swiftly, Shiro placed a calming hand on his shoulder. “Don’t.”

Keith gave him a mulish glare. 

Shiro smiled reassuringly. “Kids like that are nothing but a bunch of attention-seeking little prats. Don’t give them what they want.”

Keith relaxed under his hand and nodded. Shiro patted his shoulder. “Good. Now let’s get our milkshakes.”

The kids in the booth stared at them in wide-eyed shock as they passed on their way towards the counter. Shiro could tell they had recognized him and felt his heart sink. Were they going to spread it around that he was hanging out with Keith? Shiro was painfully aware of how an adult male befriending a kid could look, and he wasn’t sure how that would affect his position at the Garrison.

“Shiro!” the waitress greeted with delight when they reached the counter. “Welcome home!”

“Thanks, Rachel,” Shiro replied, as she leaned across the counter to kiss his cheek. 

“Well, let’s take a look at you.” She surveyed him and puckered her lips critically. “Shoot, hon, I think you lost weight – don’t they feed you up there in space?”

“I promise I haven’t lost any weight,” Shiro replied, long since used to the older woman’s maternal fussing. “And we get fed plenty on missions.”

“If you say so. Now, why did it take you so long to come see us?” Rachel scolded, wagging her finger in a motherly fashion. “According to the TV you’ve been back for weeks!”

“Sorry. I’ve just been really busy.” 

“Oh, you Garrison officers, always so busy,” she tutted, rolling her eyes. “What about meeting a nice girl and settling down? You know, my Amanda is just about your age–” 

Shiro’s cheeks burned and he hurriedly interrupted. “Sorry, Rachel, but we’re sort of in a bit of a rush…”

“Hmmm, we? Oh! Hey there, sugar,” she cooed, catching sight of Keith. “Shiro, I didn’t know you had a little brother.”

“Keith is one of my self-defence students,” Shiro explained. “We’re just grabbing a shake after class.”

“Nice to meet you, Keith,” she smiled at the boy, holding out her hand. Keith took it, then jerked a little when she leaned down and peered at his face. “Ohhheeee, you’re sure gonna grow up handsome, sugar!”

A pink flush appeared on Keith’s cheeks and Shiro decided to rescue the situation before the kid bolted. “I’m afraid we don’t have much time, Rachel, so we’re just gonna grab those shakes if that’s okay?”

“Of course, hon. Usual for you, Shiro?”

He nodded. “Yes, please. Keith, what do you want?”

“Um…” The boy glanced at the board.

“We’ve got strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, caramel, mint chocolate chip, and banana,” Rachel added.

“Ah…caramel, please,” decided Keith.

She beamed at them. “Coming right up. You boys grab a seat and I’ll drop them over.”

“Sorry about that,” said Shiro, sliding into the nearest booth. “Rachel comes on a little strong but she has a heart of gold.”

Cheeks still a little pink, Keith sat across from Shiro. “How do you know her?”

“She and her husband own this diner. I’ve been coming here since I was a cadet.”

Keith glanced at Rachel, then back at Shiro. “Does she always talk like that?”

Shiro laughed. “Pretty much. Just be glad she doesn’t have a daughter your age to try fixing you up with.”

The horrified look that spread across Keith’s face only made him laugh harder. The boy scowled and Shiro hastily turned his laugh into a cough. “Sorry. It’s just…it’s always funny to watch the effect Rachel has on people.”

Keith gave Shiro a quizzical look and opened his mouth as though to say something, before shutting it abruptly and hunching in his seat, staring angrily at the table.

Shiro was about to ask what was wrong when he spotted a boy passing their table, gawking at them. Recognizing him as one of the boys from the booth near the door, Shiro stared coldly back and the kid blushed, scampering in the direction of the bathroom.

Sighing, Shiro returned his attention to Keith. “Do those boys go to school with you?”

Still staring at the table, Keith nodded.

“Are they picking on you?”

Keith shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter. Keith, if they’re picking on you, you have to tell someone.”

The boy didn’t respond or look at Shiro. 

“Keith, why won’t you tell anyone what’s going on?” asked Shiro, already painfully aware of the answer, but wanting to draw him out.

The kid hunched lower in his seat. “Nobody will believe me.”

“I’ll believe you,” offered Shiro quietly.

Keith looked up at him, his face more open than Shiro had ever seen it.

“I mean it,” Shiro added, ignoring the voice in his head screaming, _baby steps! Baby steps!_ “No matter what you tell me, I’ll believe you.”

The boy stared at him, his expression wary, uncertain, and assessing. Shiro could practically see him thinking. It looked like he was on the verge of saying something when Rachel appeared with their order.

“Here we go,” she declared, putting two milkshakes and two pieces of apple pie in front of them. “On the house as a welcome home present, Shiro. Next time you come in, make sure you have more time to stay and chat. We want to hear all about your trip to Miranda.”

“Thank you, Rachel,” said Shiro, smiling despite the urge to scream. Talk about terrible timing! “And I promise, next time I’ll come for a longer visit.”

“That’s my boy,” she clucked fondly, pinching Shiro’s cheek. “Enjoy.”

After she left, Shiro returned his attention to Keith. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

Keith shrugged, no longer looking at him. 

“Like I said, I’ll believe you,” Shiro continued. “If anyone is hurting you–”

“It’s fine,” said Keith quickly. “It’s just name-calling. Besides, they’re a bunch of stupid jerks! Who cares what they think?”

The moment was clearly gone, Keith’s defensive shell back in place. Shiro couldn’t stop himself from sighing. “Alright. But if you ever need to talk, I’m here.”

Keith squirmed awkwardly in his seat and didn’t respond.

“Let’s dig in,” Shiro told him, changing the subject. “I still have to prove I’m right about the milkshakes here.”

Keith flashed him a look, but reached for his milkshake. His eyebrows went up a little as he sucked on the straw. “It’s…good,” he conceded, after a few seconds.

“Ah, but is it the best in town?” 

Keith shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t really tried that many places.”

Shiro seized on that. “Okay, fine. Challenge accepted.” 

Keith blinked. “What?”

“Well, you said you haven’t tried that many places and I still have to prove the milkshakes here are the best in town, so we’re going to need to visit a few other diners. No getting out of it, Keith, I have a very serious point to prove here.” He shot the kid a teasing grin.

Keith gave a smaller one that bordered on amused. “Okay.”

The tension lessened after that. Shiro told Keith a few more details about the curriculum at Galaxy Garrison, and asked him a few questions about his favourite subject at school – History, as it turned out. But Keith claimed his teacher was boring, spending class reading aloud from the history book rather than actually teaching and inviting discussion. That was how Keith happened to let slip that he wasn’t going on the field trip to an old, historical trading post out in the desert. 

“How come you can’t go?” Shiro wanted to know.

Keith shrugged. “Greg and Kara won’t sign the permission form.”

“Why?”

“They don’t think it’s very educational,” said Keith, although his expression was guarded now.

Shiro couldn’t help but wonder if it had anything to do with his visit to the house after Keith’s field trip to Galaxy Garrison. “Are your foster parents strict?” he asked carefully.

“I guess.” Keith shrugged again.

“Kara seems nice,” Shiro offered, trying to get information without pushing too hard. 

“She’s okay,” Keith admitted. “She gives me books to read and she doesn’t yell.”

“Does Greg yell?” Shiro couldn’t stop himself from asking.

“Sometimes,” Keith replied, not looking at him now.

“What kinds of things does he yell–?”

“I should get going,” Keith interrupted, and Shiro cursed himself for prying. “Thanks for the milkshake.”

“Okay. Same time next Tuesday?” asked Shiro.

The kid hesitated, and for a horrible moment Shiro thought he was going to refuse. He was just berating himself for pushing too hard when Keith nodded. 

“Okay.”

Shiro smiled, barely hiding his relief. “Do you need a ride home?”

Predictably, Keith shook his head. “No, I’m okay.”

“You sure?” Shiro pressed.

“Yeah. Thanks, Officer Shirogane.”

“Shiro,” he reminded gently.

Keith gave him a small smile. “Okay…Shiro.”

oOo

Keith’s smile melted in a puff of cold air blowing across Shiro’s face.

Slowly blinking his eyes open, he was startled to see several faces peering at him through blue glass. As the glass dissipated, Shiro pitched forward and was caught by a pair of strong arms. Looking up into kind, brown eyes, his brain supplied one word. _Hunk._

Then it all came rushing back. The Rykurian ship on Domeer.

Straightening up, Shiro rubbed his head. After evacuating the remaining Rykurian prisoners onto the castle, Allura had insisted that Shiro spend some time in a cryo-pod for his wounds. Head swimming from blood loss, he hadn’t been in any position to argue.

“Shiro, how are you feeling?” Allura asked, as Hunk guided him to the nearest chair.

Gingerly touching his side, Shiro gave a small smile. “Better.”

Angling his head for a better look at his team, Shiro could see that Allura and Coran looked older and sadder than they had been before Shiro went into the pod. Hunk’s eyes were red, as though he had been crying, and the grin on Lance’s face was just a shadow of its old self. Even Pidge seemed to be missing some of her spark.

Looking around for Keith, Shiro spotted the boy standing several feet away from them, arms crossed and brows pulled low. Someone had managed to find a change of clothes for him because he was in dark pants and a too-big white shirt, its sleeves rolled up. 

Shiro waved. “Hey, buddy, you doing okay?”

Keith’s arms pulled closer to his torso. “Fine.”

Shiro raised a questioning brow, but Keith looked away. 

Following the boy’s gaze, Shiro spotted several aliens of different shapes and colours asleep in other cryo-pods. He turned with a frown to Allura.

“A few were prisoners of the Rykurians for some time,” she explained, before he could ask. “Others had been…chewed on.”

Shiro shuddered, remembering the horrific scene back on the Rykurians’ ship. He had a feeling it would have a starring role in his future nightmares. “How many did we save?”

“Not enough,” said Allura. “We built a pyre for the Domeerians who were killed by the Rykurians. There were many.”

“What about the ones we rescued?” Shiro asked. “Were they all turned into children?”

Allura nodded. “We found a few adult Domeerians hiding on the planet; they are with the children now. We left them on Kovac – the king agreed to shelter them until we can return the children to normal.”

Shiro’s eyes widened. “You’ve been to Kovac already?! How long was I out?”

“Almost two quintents,” Allura told him. “That wound in your side was deep.”

“What about those guys?” Shiro thumbed in the direction of the podded aliens.

“It is dangerous to disturb a cryo-pod’s healing process. Once they have exited the pods, we will return them to their solar system.”

Shiro glanced back at Allura. “We’re not in that solar system anymore?”

She shook her head. “We are in the dead zone.”

“The…what?”

“It’s a pocket of space where no life exists. Quintessence does not function as it should out here, making it practically uninhabitable.”

Shiro didn’t like the sound of that. “And we are here _why_ exactly?” 

It was Pidge who answered. “The data I downloaded from the Rykurian ship showed that this was the last place they travelled from before entering the Tarvic solar system.”

“This would be a good place to keep whatever they are using to control the Govnex,” Allura added. “Its powers are useless out here.”

“Is it safe for us to be out here?” asked Shiro.

“We will be fine if we do not linger long. Most beings can last a quintent or two out here before the zone begins to affect them.”

“That really doesn’t make me feel any better, Allura,” said Shiro, frowning. “How does this place affect people?”

“It drains their quintessence, but I do not know how it does so. This zone is one of the universe’s greatest mysteries.”

“It’s like Earth’s Bermuda Triangle,” Lance piped up. “Weird energy, ships disappearing, comms not working–”

“The comms aren’t working?” said Shiro at once.

“They went down as soon as we entered the dead zone,” Lance replied. “Total radio silence.”

Allura sighed. “Another reason the dead zone is uninhabitable, it interferes with a ship’s systems. I have had Coran divert all power on the ship so that we are using only our most necessary systems.”

Shiro glanced at the sleeping aliens. “Wouldn’t it have been better to wait until they were finished healing before coming out here? Aside from the fact we’re putting them in danger, it would have allowed you to divert power from the cryo-pods as well.”

Allura’s face was grimmer than Shiro had ever seen it. “We did not have the luxury of waiting. The Rykurians and a Govnex attacked two more planets, this time in the Vackna solar system. We received the distress signals while we were on Kovac…but we were too late.”

“Hang on,” said Shiro, “you received _two_ distress signals?” 

Allura nodded. “At the same time.”

As the implications sank in, alarm unfurled in Shiro’s stomach. “But that means…”

“The Rykurians are controlling more than one Govnex,” Allura finished grimly. “Shiro, we _have_ to find whatever they are using to control them. We cannot afford to wait.”

Shiro’s head reeled at the news that the Rykurians were controlling more than one Govnex. No wonder Allura had flown straight out here – the Rykurians were destroying planets quicker than the Galra! “How long have we been here? Have you found anything?”

“We have not found anything yet,” Allura admitted. “But we have only been here for two vargas.”

“It’s pretty hard to find anything when our scanners aren’t working,” Pidge put in, folding her arms. 

“Our scanners aren’t working?” Shiro repeated. “We’re just flying blind out here?”

“Pretty much.”

Worry gnawed on Shiro’s stomach. This mission had _recipe for disaster_ written all over it. But it didn’t seem like they had a choice. Glancing down at his white cryo-suit, Shiro stood up. “I’m going to change into my armour. We should be ready for anything out here.”

“Um…maybe you should eat something first?” Hunk ventured. “You did just spend two days in a cryo-pod.”

Shiro’s stomach rumbled at the thought of food. _Okay, so maybe it’s not only worry chewing on my stomach._ He nodded at Hunk. “I’ll change first, then eat. Why don’t I meet you guys in the kitchen? We can make a plan while I eat.”

The yellow paladin smiled. “Sure.”

Shiro hurried to his room, his mind going a mile a minute. Entire planets were literally being devoured – what would they do if they couldn’t find what they were looking for out here? And what would they even do if they _did?_ Because whatever the Rykurians were using to control the Govnex, it could be even more powerful than the creatures themselves.

Washing and dressing quickly, Shiro arrived in the kitchen ten minutes later to find the team seated around the table. Hunk had already laid out some food for Shiro and was munching on the green goo himself. Lance was rocking back on his chair’s legs beside Hunk, while Pidge had a holo-screen open and was typing furiously. Coran and Allura sat across from them, deep in discussion. Keith was at the far end of the table, away from the others, arms crossed and hunched in his seat.

Shiro frowned. Why was he retreating into himself again?

Grabbing the food Hunk had left for him, Shiro sat down beside Keith and started to eat. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“You sure? I mean, I know everything that’s going on has to be a lot to process.”

Keith side-eyed him, but didn’t respond. 

“Keith–”

“Hey!” Pidge cried suddenly. “I think I can get our scanners working on a limited basis.”

Shiro zeroed in on her. “What do you mean?”

“If I pull a little power from the castle like so…” The kitchen lights dimmed a little and Pidge continued to type, frowning at the screen. “I think I can– got it!”

“Got what?” Lance demanded. 

“I’ve managed to get the scanners working on a limited range, only five or six miles, but it should cut our search time here in the dead zone.”

“Nice job, Pidge,” Shiro congratulated her. 

“Yes, well done,” said Allura. “That is most helpful. But the question is, what do we do once we find what we are looking for?”

“It’s kinda hard to make a plan when we don’t even know _what_ we’re looking for,” Pidge pointed out.

“That’s true,” Shiro conceded. “But I don’t like the idea of playing it by ear.”

Allura blinked. “Humans can play music with their ears?”

Shiro chuckled. “No, no. It’s an expression, a figure of speech. It basically means to operate on the fly.”

“So…play it by ear means to fly?”

Shiro swallowed the food in his mouth. “Uh, no. To play it by ear or operate on the fly means going in without a plan and seeing how things go.”

“I see. Well then, yes, I do not like the idea of going in without a plan, not when there are Rykurians involved.”

“You may not have a choice, Princess,” Pidge spoke up, and they all looked at the green paladin. “I’ve picked up a Rykurian ship, about four miles from here.”

 _That was fast._ Shiro put his spoon down into his half-eaten bowl of food. “What are they doing?” 

“Nothing, just floating there.” Pidge looked up. “But it’s not a battleship; it’s too small. It looks like a cargo ship.”

“What would a cargo ship be doing all the way out here in the dead zone?” Shiro wondered and stood up. “We need to board that ship.”

“Just a moment, Shiro,” said Allura. “It will not be as easy to board this ship as the one on Domeer.”

“Are you kidding me?” Hunk cried. “That wasn’t _easy!_ ”

Allura ignored him. “The lions are offline out here in the dead zone. You will not be able to use the Green Lion to sneak onto the Rykurian ship.”

“Will a pod work?” Pidge asked.

“Yes. The lions are powered by quintessence, which is why they cannot fly out here. But a pod still does not solve the problem of hiding your approach to the ship.”

“It will if I fit a cloaking device on one of the pods to hide our approach.” Pidge adjusted her glasses.

“How long will that take?” Shiro asked.

Pidge shrugged. “Maybe twenty minutes? I already have the device ready to go.”

“Do it,” said Shiro. “We have to get onto that ship.”

As Pidge left the room, Allura turned to Shiro. “There is another problem besides hiding your approach, Shiro.” 

Shiro sighed, because of course there was. “What is it?”

“Weapons. Your bayards and blasters will not work out here.”

Shiro paused. That was a problem. They couldn’t go up against the savage Rykurians without weapons – they’d be torn apart.

“What about swords?” asked Keith suddenly, looking at Shiro.

Everyone turned to stare at him, causing him to slouch down in his chair and mumble, “It was just an idea.”

“No, no, it’s a good one,” Coran rushed to reassure him. “And we actually have several swords in the armoury. It’s just that…well, the only paladin who really knows how to use a sword is you.”

Keith blinked at him.

“It doesn’t matter,” said Shiro. “We need to see what’s on that ship, so swords it is. Good idea, Keith.” He smiled and patted the boy’s shoulder.

Keith gave him a tiny smile in return.

Coran stood up, looking resigned. “Then I’ll get the swords. I’ll meet you at the pods with them.”

Allura was frowning. “Shiro, I do _not_ like this. Boarding a Rykurian ship with weapons you can barely use is far too dangerous.”

“What choice do we have, Allura? You brought us all the way out here because things are desperate. What else did you think we were going to do once we found what we were looking for?”

She shook her head. “This is not what I had in mind. You do not even know how many Rykurians are on that ship. There could be fifty! Maybe more.”

“Um…actually, it’s more like thirteen,” Hunk interjected, peering at the screen Pidge had left open. “Maybe fourteen. There’s a really weird energy blip that doesn’t look anything like the others.”

“That might be what we’re looking for,” said Shiro, moving over to Hunk. “Where on the ship is it?”

“Here,” replied Hunk, pointing. “This room on the upper deck.”

Shiro studied the screen. He could see several black dots moving about the ship that clearly indicated Rykurians, but this energy signature was green, and a lot bigger. “There’s three Rykurians standing guard outside. Whatever they’re using to control the Govnex, this has to be it.”

“Which means we’re gonna have to fight them, doesn’t it?” Hunk asked, looking dejected. 

Shiro knew Hunk was terrified of these things and had already faced them twice in hand to hand. He felt bad asking him to do it again. “I’m afraid so, Hunk. But look on the bright side, if this really is what they’re using to control the Govnex, it could be the last time we face the Rykurians.”

Hunk dropped his head onto the table. “Four of us against thirteen monsters. I am seriously getting so tired of these odds.”

“Actually, it will be five against thirteen,” said Allura. “I am going with you.”

Shiro looked at her in alarm. “What?”

“I can wield a sword and am stronger in hand to hand than all of you. And do not forget, I can also do this.”

Just as she had back on the Galra-base weeks ago, Allura grew taller. Except this time her skin faded to white instead of purple, and her hair turned black. Her face was tight with disgust when she spoke, “Rykurians are abominations, but this form will allow me to mimic their strength.”

Shiro sighed. He couldn’t deny that they would need more fighters on this mission. “Alright. Fine.”

“What about me?” Keith spoke up, now behind Shiro. He’d joined them while Allura was speaking and was now staring at the blueprints of the Rykurian ship onscreen. 

Shiro shook his head. “Keith, you know I can’t let you come with us.”

“But I can fight!” he insisted, eyes whipping up to stare at Shiro. “You know I can.”

“I’m sorry, buddy, it’s too dangerous.”

“Pidge isn’t that much bigger than me,” Keith pointed out, scowling. “You’re still letting her go.”

“Pidge is older and more trained.” This was surreal. Shiro felt ridiculously like the dad in the middle of some sibling rivalry. 

Keith’s scowl deepened. “I want to help!”

“I know you do, and I’m sorry, Keith, but the answer is still no.”

The boy’s face flushed an angry red. Making an irritated sound, he stalked off. Shiro stared after him, feeling bad.

Lance whistled. “Man, I can’t wait to tell that mullet what a drama queen he is once we get him back to normal.”

“Leave him alone, Lance,” said Shiro wearily. “And all of you suit up. We need to board that ship before the Rykurians discover we’re out here.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who has commented or left kudos. I hugely appreciate it - sending cookies and good karma your way.
> 
> Also, just an FYI; this fic is finished (I am literally working on the last section of the last chapter), but I am waiting to get the chapters from my awesome beta, HaleyKim, before posting. I don't trust myself enough to post un-betaed chapters.
> 
> Have a great weekend!

“You need to get on and off that ship as fast as you can,” Coran told them, handing everyone a sword. “The comms are down, so I won’t be able to warn you if more Rykurians arrive, or even provide covering fire!”

“Don’t worry, Coran,” Shiro assured him, taking a large sword, “we’re going to get in, get what we came for, and get out.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Hunk mumbled. “Why can’t it be that easy?”

“Because the universe hates us?” Lance suggested with a shrug.

“We’ll be fine,” Shiro assured them. “We’ve faced worse odds than this and come out on top.”

“But everyone needs to be cautious,” Allura interjected, one hand clutching a sword, the other wrapped around a staff of some sort. “We need to be silent and focused on board that ship.”

“And no splitting up,” Shiro added. 

“Wouldn’t it be quicker to search if we split up?” asked Lance, as Pidge returned from changing into her armour.

“Probably,” said Shiro. “But we’re not doing it on a Rykurian ship, not when we’re using weapons we’re unfamiliar with.”

“I downloaded the ship’s schematics to my suit,” Pidge told them. “Knowing where we’re going should get us on and off the ship quicker.”

“Good thinking,” said Shiro.

She smiled, then looked around. “Where’s Keith?”

Shiro sighed. “Probably his room. He’s mad because I won’t let him come.”

“Don’t worry, Shiro, I’ll keep an eye on him,” Coran offered.

“Thanks, Coran.” Shiro looked at the paladins. “Alright, let’s go.”

“Shotgun!” cried Lance.

“Sorry, Lance,” said Shiro before Hunk could object, “but Pidge’s suit has the ship’s schematics, and I’m going to need her up front directing me on where to board.”

“Aw, man.” Lance drooped, then perked up again. “Looks like it’ll be you and me in the backseat, Princess,” he told Allura, waggling his eyebrows and ignoring Hunk’s pointed cough.

Allura rolled her eyes and entered the pod.

“We’ll see you soon, Coran,” said Shiro, heading for the cockpit with Pidge. Lance and Hunk joined Allura in the back.

Pidge didn’t speak as Shiro guided the craft out of the hangar and into open space. With the comms down, they were unable to communicate with the others in back, so Shiro had several minutes of silence to gather his thoughts before the mission.

Despite assuring his team that they’d be fine, Shiro was concerned about this mission. No lions, no communications, and short-range weapons that only Allura could wield with any expertise…this was even more dangerous than venturing into Zarkon central to rescue Allura.

“Shiro, do you really think we can do this?” Pidge asked nervously, voice muffled behind her helmet without the comms. 

Shiro knew this was her first time facing the Rykurians in hand to hand, and her size would make her a bigger target. No wonder she was nervous. Pushing down his own insecurities, Shiro forced confidence into his voice. “Yes, we can. I’m not gonna lie; this will be a tough mission, but we’re a strong team and we’ll beat the odds together.” 

She smiled faintly.

“Now,” Shiro continued, “according to those schematics, where–”

His words were cut off when the pod suddenly hit something, jerking it violently. Beside him, Pidge yelped and he could hear faint yells from the others in back.

“Are you okay?” asked Shiro, trying to see what they had hit.

“Fine. What was that?”

“No idea. Can you scan this area like you did on the castle?”

“I can try.”

While Pidge tinkered with the scanners, Shiro listened to the noise in the back and wondered what was going on. He wished the comms were operational to check on them. After a moment, a faint beep came from the dash and Shiro glanced at Pidge, who was blinking at the scanner. “What is it?” he asked.

“It looks like…a calcified air pocket,” she replied uncertainly. “I didn’t know that was a thing.”

“Neither did I. Can we expect more of them?”

“Probably.” Pidge sighed. “You know, Lance is right, this place really is the Bermuda Triangle of weird…and don’t tell Lance I said he was right.” She turned off the scanner. “We’d better fly at a slower pace.”

“Can’t you use the scanner to guide us to the Rykurian ship?”

Pidge shook her head. “I can’t risk draining the pod’s power when we still need it to return to the castle. The energy suck is too unpredictable out here.”

She had a point. Shiro moved the pod slowly forward. “Guess I’ll just have to keep my eyes even more open.” 

Not three minutes later, they hit another of the strange air pockets, but this time, Shiro caught the barest hint of a dark outline when they did. “Did you see that?” 

“Yeah, it’s like a black rock floating in a black sky. Tough to see, but there.”

At least now I know what to look for,” said Shiro, slowing the pod’s pace even more. “How far are we from the ship?”

“About two minutes,” she replied, bringing up an image from her wrist’s holo-computer. “This hangar seems pretty unused. If you approach from behind, we should be able to dock there without drawing any attention.”

“Should be able?” Shiro clarified, activating the cloaking device.

“Their scanners probably aren’t working either, so they won’t be aware of our approach. It’s the landing in the hangar part that’s the problem. I’m gonna have to hack the doors and that might trigger an alarm. Rykurian technology is pretty basic, but it has a lot of security trip-switches.”

“Well, if anyone can bypass them it’s you, Pidge.”

“I set off three on the battleship when I was downloading the info that led us here.”

“Oh.”

The Rykurian ship came into view and Shiro manoeuvred the pod to approach from behind. Hovering beside the hangar door, he hit a button and the cockpit glass slid back, allowing Pidge to scan the door panel with her holo-computer. 

Shiro watched anxiously as Pidge started typing – that scan had definitely looked dimmer than usual, and he could tell Pidge was finding it hard to hack the doors with such limited power. It took her longer than usual, but eventually the hangar doors rolled open. Shiro guided the pod in, landing it just as Pidge sealed the doors shut again.

“Did we trigger any alarms?” Shiro asked, hopping out. 

“None. Guess hacking the battleship helped with knowing what trips to look for.”

“Good. Let’s get the others.” Shiro moved to the back of the pod and opened the door. “We’re in, guys…” His voice trailed off as _four_ angry faces stared back at him.

“Keith?” Shiro hissed, staring at where the boy was sitting beside Hunk with his arms crossed.

“It seems he stowed away in one of the overhead storage containers while we were changing into our armour,” explained Allura, face tight with disapproval. “He fell out when the pod hit– whatever it hit.”

“Some sort of calcified air pocket,” said Shiro distractedly, as they exited the pod. “Keith, what were you thinking?! I _told_ you this was too dangerous!” His worry made him angrier than he wanted to be.

“I want to help,” Keith retorted stubbornly, arms still crossed. A knife was strapped around his waist. 

Shiro recognized it as the one he carried as a teenager and blinked. “Where did you get that?”

“My room.”

Shiro pinched the bridge of his nose. This was a disaster. They couldn’t leave Keith in the pod in case the Rykurians discovered it. They would have to bring him with them. “We’re going to have a serious talk about this when we get back to the castle,” he told Keith. “You’ve just jeopardized this entire mission.”

The boy dropped his head and stared at the floor.

Turning to the other paladins, who were also glaring at Keith, Shiro said, “Let’s head for that room on the upper deck first. Everyone on the alert and no noise. Keith, you stay close to me.”

Allura in her Rykurian form and Pidge with a holo-map of the ship’s schematics led the way. Hunk was right behind them, his sword shaking in his trembling hands. A grim-faced Lance followed him, while Shiro and a sulking Keith brought up the rear.

This ship resembled the Rykurian battleship on a smaller scale. Constructed entirely of a dark grey metal, its hallways were lit by the barest hint of yellow light. Given the darkened interiors of their ships, Shiro couldn’t help but wonder if the Rykurians had superior night vision or something, and made a note to ask Allura about it later.

They were halfway up to the first level when they encountered their first Rykurian.

The thing roared upon sighting them, but Allura moved before it could do much else, removing its head from its shoulders with a single strike of her sword. Shiro couldn’t help but be impressed at her skill.

“One down, twelve to go,” Lance muttered, as Allura dragged the dead alien into a dark corner.

They continued on their way, finally reaching the steps that led to the first level. Allura paused, before putting a finger to her lips. Shiro listened and heard the stomp of boots overhead. 

“ _Hide!_ ” he hissed in a low voice, and the paladins scattered. 

Allura dragged Pidge under the stairs, Hunk rolling in after them, while Lance ducked into the nearest alcove and flattened himself against the wall. Shiro grabbed Keith and pulled him behind a metal pillar, positioning the boy behind him.

Heavy boots clanged on the stairs. Shiro guessed it would be seconds before the Rykurians smelled them, but they could at least attempt the element of surprise. Waiting in breathless silence, he tried to count how many Rykurians were coming based on the steps. Two, maybe three.

Shiro knew their presence had been sensed when the Rykurians roared. Activating his Galra arm, he swung out to face the two Rykurians springing off the stairs. Swinging at the first one, he was shocked when his fist connected with its nose, but did little more than send black blood spurting from it. Clearly, his prosthetic was weaker in the dead zone as well.

Angry at himself for not thinking of that, Shiro swung his sword at the snarling Rykurians, tearing the blade through the first one’s face. It crashed to the floor, and the second Rykurian launched itself at Shiro just as something silver thrust into its throat from behind. Black blood spurted over Shiro and the alien dropped, revealing Lance with his sword raised.

The blue paladin looked a little sick in the dim light, hands shaking ever so slightly. Shiro understood. It felt a whole lot more real, more visceral, to kill with a sword than a blaster.

Shiro, Hunk and Lance rolled the alien bodies into the alcove that Lance had hidden in moments before. With each Rykurian they killed, they increased their odds of survival, but they also increased the odds of being discovered.

“Let’s go, Paladins,” Allura whispered once they were done.

Falling into formation once more, they followed Allura and Pidge up the stairs. Shiro’s heart was knocking against his ribs. He didn’t know why, but a warning was worming its way up from his gut.

They reached the top of the stairs and Pidge gestured left. The warning in his stomach got even louder as they moved down this corridor – it was narrower than the lower deck. Less room to manoeuvre in a fight and a stronger chance of being cornered.

Finally, the corridor’s end came into view, opening into a large chamber. Shiro knew this chamber held the doors leading to the strange energy and his heart beat faster in anticipation. 

Allura stopped at the chamber entrance, peered in, and then pressed herself against the wall. The paladins followed suit, watching as she held up three fingers. 

Shiro understood at once. Three Rykurians. 

Tapping Lance’s shoulder, he pointed at Allura. The blue paladin nodded and they crept forwards quickly – they needed to attack before the Rykurians smelled them. Reaching Allura, all three charged into the chamber with their swords drawn. 

The three Rykurians roared. Teeth snapping, they charged at Allura and the paladins, brandishing knives as they did so. Shiro’s sword clanged off the biggest Rykurian’s blade, throwing off the alien’s stride, and it howled as it swung around and charged him again. 

On either side of Shiro, the clang of metal on metal was ringing loudly, while from somewhere behind him came the sound of Hunk darting into the fray. Dodging the Rykurian as it came in for a third attack, Shiro felt its knife nick his upper arm and twisted away, before jerking around again. Throwing his entire weight behind the sword, he drove it into the Rykurian’s side.

The alien convulsed, dropping its knife and thrusting its hands at Shiro. Claws scrabbled against his helmet, but Shiro just twisted the blade in the alien’s side, then yanked it out. Black blood gushed from the wound and dripped from the Rykurian’s mouth, before the alien crashed to the floor. It twitched for several seconds before eventually falling still.

Shiro turned in time to see Allura slash her blade across the chest of the Rykurian she was battling. The thing screeched before thudding into the wall, leaving a trail of black blood as it slowly slid down it. 

As less experienced close-range fighters, Hunk and Lance were struggling against their opponent. Several bloody rips were evident across Hunk’s torso, while Lance was bleeding from a wound to his arm. 

Shiro and Allura didn’t hesitate; they dashed over and thrust their swords into the Rykurian simultaneously − Shiro into its head and Allura into its back. The Rykurian didn’t make a sound before hitting the floor.

“That’s…six down…” Lance panted. “Better odds, right?”

The words were no sooner out of his mouth than an alarm began to wail.

“You just _had_ to say something, didn’t you?” Hunk cried.

“They know we are here,” said Allura, and pointed to a large steel door. “Pidge, can you open that door?”

“Already on it, Princess,” she replied, standing with Keith by the chamber’s entrance and tapping furiously at her wrist computer, obviously hacking what looked like a control panel. “I’ve bypassed their security but the door still has a manual locking system.”

“What do you mean?” Shiro demanded.

“I mean, I’ve bypassed the electronics, but the door has to be unlocked manually as well.”

“Like a key?” asked Lance.

“Exactly like a key,” said Pidge, eyes narrowing at the holo-screen. “But there should be a manual trigger somewhere…there!” 

They all looked up to where she pointed; some kind of vent in the ceiling.

“We should be able to trigger the manual interlocking system by pulling the pin out of its central locking relay, directly over the door. That should release the fork latch, but…” her voice trailed off as she stared at the vent. “I won’t fit.”

Shiro studied the vent, heart sinking. Pidge was right – the vent was tiny, barely a foot in height and width. Even her small frame wouldn’t fit in there.

“I can do it,” Keith offered. 

Shiro glanced at him. The boy was small and painfully skinny, but Shiro wasn’t sure he could do this. “Keith, I don’t think–”

“I can do it!” he insisted. “Please, Shiro. Just let me try.” 

Not seeing any other option and with time running out, Shiro agreed. “Alright. Pidge, show him what to do. Lance, I need you to unscrew that grate. Hunk, help me boost him.”

The alarm continued to wail while Allura kept watch on the chamber entrance. Shiro and Hunk supported Lance on their shoulders, the blue paladin tugging at the grating on the vent. In the corner, Pidge was rapidly explaining the locking system to Keith, pointing to the holo-screen as she did so. Shiro could barely hear her over the alarm.

“Got it!” cried Lance suddenly, and the grating clattered to the floor, narrowly missing Hunk’s head.

“Lance!”

“Sorry, Hunk.”

Pidge and Keith joined them as Lance hopped down. “Do you know what you have to do?” Shiro asked Keith.

Jaw set in determination, the boy nodded. 

“Okay, let’s get you up there,” said Shiro.

He and Hunk crouched down, allowing Keith to sit on their shoulders. It felt like he weighed nothing. Standing up carefully, Shiro gripped one of Keith’s legs tightly, while Hunk held the other. Keith wobbled slowly into an upright position, before Shiro and Hunk carefully pushed him upwards by his legs towards the vent. 

As he neared the vent, Keith raised his arms over his head, allowing his head and shoulders to disappear into the tiny vent. After a moment, his legs began to kick, forcing Shiro and Hunk to let go. Inch by inch, Keith kicked and wriggled his way into the vent, gradually disappearing from their sight.

“I can’t believe he did it,” said Lance in a slightly stunned voice, staring up at the vent.

“Me either,” Hunk agreed, gaze also on the hole. “How claustrophobic do you suppose it is in there?”

A distant roar from the hallway cut off any answers.

“They’re coming,” warned Shiro, grabbing his sword and facing the entrance.

“Oh, man,” Hunk moaned. “How many do you suppose there are this time?”

“Probably the remaining crew,” replied Allura, moving away from the entrance and coming to stand beside them.

“That’s still only seven,” said Shiro. “We can take them.”

“Um, Shiro?” said Lance, as Rykurians appeared at the far end of the hallway. “That looks like a _lot_ more than seven.” 

Shiro’s eyes narrowed. Lance was right – that was far more than seven Rykurians! Where had the rest come from? There was no way his team could defeat that many Rykurians backed into a corner like this. Not with short-range weapons they could barely use. 

Just then, the steel door slid open.

“Shiro,” Pidge spoke urgently, checking the ship schematics, “there’s another exit from that room! Maybe we can double around and take them from behind?”

One look at the ferocious crowd of Rykurians hurtling down the corridor and Shiro made a split-second decision. “Everyone into the room!” 

“But Keith–” Lance began. 

“They can’t reach him in the vents. GO!”

They did as ordered. Keith’s face appeared in the ceiling and Shiro yelled up at him. “Keith, lock us into that room and stay up there. Travel through the vents if you ne–”

Without warning, the steel door closed again.

From inside the room, the others yelled. 

“What’s going on?”

“Shiro!”

“Open the door!”

“Shiro, that wasn’t me!” cried Keith, eyes wide and panicked.

“Help the team get through the other door if you can!” Shiro ordered, knowing he had no choice but to fight and hope he could survive long enough for his team to reach him. Gripping his sword, he activated his prosthetic – even a little strength was better than none. Besides, he’d been a champion in the Galra fighting pits before they ever took his human arm and he’d survived then. He could do this. He had to!

The Rykurians burst into the chamber, roaring and snarling. They attacked before Shiro could even count how many there were. He swung the sword violently, decapitating one and taking the arm off another, before darting out of reach of a third. A set of claws raked across his back and Shiro cried out, whipping around and thrusting his sword through a face. Another Rykurian lunged from the side and Shiro punched its eye, driving the prosthetic into it with everything he had. His arm still didn’t have its usual power, but it was enough to decimate the alien’s eye and send it reeling in pain. Swinging his sword in a vicious arc, Shiro cut through the throats of two more attacking Rykurians. 

Still snarling through their snapping teeth, the Rykurians backed away, circling Shiro and slowly surrounding him. The steel door now behind him, Shiro could hear his friends pounding on it and screaming his name, clearly unable to escape the room yet.

He counted the Rykurians: fifteen standing, plus the one whose arm he’d removed writhing on the floor. Not good odds.

As the Rykurians closed in again, Shiro rushed at the nearest one, taking its head off with one clean swoop before tearing through another one’s stomach. Thank god they didn’t wear armour. A third darted in from his right and Shiro thrust his sword into its chest.

His own chest was heaving from adrenaline, fear and exhaustion. With a horrible clarity, Shiro realized he wasn’t going to survive this fight. But he would do whatever he could to ensure his team did.

With a roar of determined fury, Shiro stood his ground against the charging Rykurians, leaping over the bodies of their fallen comrades…until a second, deeper roar from the chamber entrance stopped them in their tracks. 

Shiro chanced a glance in that direction and saw yet another Rykurian. He could tell instantly that this one was different. It stood a full head taller than the other hulking Rykurians, and was missing an eye. Its bare chest was covered in scars and it held a lethal-looking spear, barbed at the end.

Stalking in, its solitary eye fixed on Shiro, the alien made several guttural sounds that might have been words, and the other Rykurians charged Shiro again. Frantically swinging his sword, Shiro managed to impale one of the rampaging monsters before another smashed into him from the side.

Shiro couldn’t pull the sword out of the body in front of him before a set of teeth latched onto his paladin armour. As the Rykurian realized its mistake and tried to burrow its teeth in Shiro’s neck, Shiro managed to yank the sword out and stab up through the alien’s mouth into its brain.

Jerking back to face the other lunging Rykurians, a sudden, sharp pain made Shiro’s breath hitch. He looked down and saw the barbed spear embedded just beneath his ribs, ruby red blood running down along it.

A savage roar sounded, and Shiro lifted his head to find the bare-chested Rykurian at the other end of the spear. It snarled at Shiro, shoving the barb in further. Shiro moaned at the pain, then sagged, while the other Rykurians circled around them, making choking, guttural sounds that might have been laughter. 

“SHIRO!” Keith yelled.

It was an effort, but Shiro dragged his head up and saw legs dangling from the vent. Realizing instantly what Keith planned to do, Shiro tried to stop him. “KEITH, NO!”

It was too late. 

The boy dropped, landing on the Rykurian beneath him. Knife already out, Keith stabbed the alien savagely in the face and throat. The alien went down choking on its own blood as another Rykurian seized Keith from behind. But the boy twisted, driving his knife into its eye. With a roar, the alien flung Keith away, yanking the knife out of its socket.

Hitting the floor, Keith rolled over and over, coming to a halt on his stomach. He pushed himself upright just as the Rykurian he had stabbed in the eye threw itself on him and buried its teeth in his shoulder. 

Keith screamed, thrashing as the huge Rykurian flattened him against the floor.

“KEITH!” Shiro roared. “ _KEITH!_ ” 

Weakly, Shiro tried to swing his sword at the Rykurians next to him, but the massive, bare-chested Rykurian used the spear impaled in his torso to force Shiro backwards. He hit the wall hard and a burst of raw agony surged through him, whiting out his vision and making his entire body convulse. The sword slipped from his fingers and hit the ground with a clatter. 

Sweat beaded Shiro’s face as Keith continued to scream, and he blinked frantically, trying to force himself to focus. The world see-sawed violently, but gradually the white face of the bare-chested Rykurian came into view. 

“Let. Him. GO!” Shiro snarled, balling his hands into fists and baring his teeth at the Rykurian.

The thing gave a triumphant leer, before making more of the strange guttural sounds that Shiro was now certain was speech. 

Instantly, the Rykurian savaging Keith’s shoulder stopped and pulled the boy up from the floor. Chalk-white and shaking, blood streaming from his shoulder, Keith struggled and clawed at the Rykurian. But the alien ignored him, dragging Keith closer to Shiro.

Barely able to feel his legs and the spear now the only thing holding him upright, Shiro watched helplessly as the Rykurian, black blood oozing from its empty eye socket, forced Keith onto his knees. Crouching over Keith from behind, the alien seized his hair and pulled his head back, before chomping down on the nape of his uninjured shoulder.

“STOP IT!” Shiro yelled, as the boy screamed again, jerking and twisting in the Rykurian’s grasp.

The bare-chested Rykurian issued several guttural sounds at the two aliens standing on Shiro’s left, and they immediately moved towards Keith. Ripping the bandages from the previous attack off Keith’s arms, the aliens grabbed a limb each, and Keith visibly tried to pull them back.

Terrified understanding flooded Shiro. They were going to make him watch. “NO! _DON’T!_ ”

The aliens bit down and Keith _wailed_ , jerking and thrashing as they tore into his flesh. 

“STOP IT! PLEASE, STOP IT!” Shiro begged, Keith’s screams ringing in his ears.

Desperate, he activated his Galra arm and smashed through the spear’s wooden handle. He staggered, then lunged at the bare-chested alien. But he was weak, the blow barely glancing off the Rykurian’s chest. The alien just laughed and grabbed the broken spear handle still inside Shiro, then twisted it. 

Sparks of violent agony exploded within him and a strangled, wet moan crawled up Shiro’s throat. Pitching backwards and hitting the wall behind him with a thump, he lost the remaining strength in his legs and collapsed.

Panting, shaking, and on the verge of passing out, Shiro sought out Keith. The boy was barely visible between the three aliens tearing into him, but Shiro could hear him whimpering and crying out. The ground was red beneath them.

Then the bare-chested alien crouched beside Shiro and said something in its guttural tongue, before raking its claws across Shiro’s stomach. 

Shiro choked on a scream and agony darkened his vision. It felt like he pitched right off whatever he was lying on. He thought he might have passed out because there was a long silence, before snarls, clangs and screams tore the air around him. 

The sound was deafening.

The world bobbed and weaved violently. Screams, shouts, metal…they all merged into one nonsensical din, until Shiro was forced to peel his eyes open to make sense of it.

Blurred feet danced before him in a frantic rhythm to the cacophony blaring around him. Pain rolled through Shiro, sharpening the edges of his dulled consciousness. The stench of copper was heavy in the air, making his stomach churn. He groaned. What was happening?

Suddenly, a mountain of yellow, white and black appeared above him. “Shiro? SHIRO?!”

Shiro knew that voice. “Hunk…” he croaked, blinking and trying to focus on the face hovering over him.

“Oh, man, we need to get you out of here.”

Gentle hands helped Shiro sit up. He cried out when something cut into him and shattered into shards of agony.

“Sorry! I’m sorry!” cried Hunk, waving his hands frantically. 

The pain sliced through the fog in Shiro’s head and a sliver of clarity broke through. “Keith!” he gasped. “The Rykurians…they…”

“I know,” said Hunk, glancing to the side. “Lance’s got him.”

Shiro rolled his head sideways to see the blue paladin kneeling a few feet away, cradling a bloody little figure. Keith was shaking and whimpering, while Lance tried to comfort him. Dead Rykurians lay scattered and piled around them. 

“Keith…” Shiro whispered. “Is he okay?”

“He needs a pod,” said Hunk, eyes wide and scared. “You both do.”

A shadow fell over them. Shiro angled his head up and caught sight of Pidge.

“Allura says we need to go _now_ ,” Pidge told Hunk, her face white and flecked with black blood. She was inexplicably holding a bundle of blankets. “She just took down the war chief, but she doesn’t know if more are coming.”

Not a single thing she said made any sense to Shiro’s swimming head. “Pidge…what…”

“I’m gonna need Allura’s help with Shiro,” Hunk spoke over him. “I can’t put him over my shoulder with that…thing sticking out of him!”

“I’ll get her,” said Pidge and disappeared.

“Hunk…” Shiro began, but the yellow paladin shushed him.

“Save your strength, Shiro. We need to get you back to the castle, and moving you is probably gonna hurt.”

“Is Shiro okay?” a familiar voice joined them.

Hunk glanced up at the voice. “He needs a pod.” 

Shiro rolled his head sideways and saw legs. Tilting his gaze up, he found Lance standing over them, holding a shuddering Keith in his arms. Horrifically mangled flesh was visible through the boy’s shredded shirt, which was drenched in red…the same colour smeared all down Lance’s armour.

That colour wasn’t supposed to be there. Lance wore _blue_. “Keith…” he croaked. “Keith…you okay?”

The boy didn’t respond.

“He’s in shock, Shiro,” Lance answered quietly. He looked scared.

“But…he’s okay?”

Lance didn’t look at him. “He needs a pod.”

The not-quite-answers were starting to frighten Shiro and he tried to rise, only for pain to slice through him again. He groaned and reached for the sharp thing cutting into him, but Hunk stopped him. 

“Need it…out…” Shiro panted. 

“Sorry, Shiro, it’s gotta stay in until we can get you to a pod,” said Hunk, voice shaking.

“Hurts…” Shiro managed, and Hunk looked stricken.

“We need to go!” a strong voice rang out, and Allura appeared beside Lance, still in Rykurian form, her suit a dizzying mix of bloody gashes and black splatters. She looked horrified as she cast her gaze over Keith.

“Allura…” Shiro croaked.

She knelt beside him, face tight with sorrow. “I am sorry, Shiro, but we must move you. Hunk, get his arm over your shoulder.”

The yellow paladin complied, lifting Shiro’s prosthetic over his shoulder and making Shiro moan with pain. 

“I’m sorry, Shiro! I’m sorry!” Hunk cried.

“S’fi– arrgh!” he gasped, as Allura, adjusting her height to match Hunk’s, slipped his other arm around her shoulder.

“I am sorry, Shiro,” she said again, “but we do not have much time. On three, Hunk. One, two, three!”

They rose to their feet, dragging Shiro between them, and he screamed as violent, excruciating agony _roared_ through him. Nerves Shiro didn’t even know he had twitched and fired, making him convulse. White noise whooshed in his ears.

It was too much. Shiro pitched headlong into darkness.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you to everyone for the amazing feedback and kudos. Can't tell you all how much I appreciate it. :)

_Planet Earth, 2090_ …

Shiro spent the weekend working on his holo-map of the Miranda mission. He had fallen a little behind over the last week because he had been so preoccupied with Keith. 

By the time Monday morning rolled around, Shiro had completed the map. With all his reports relating to the Miranda mission now finished, he was no longer excused from other Garrison duties, and spent much of the day in the simulator with the junior cadets. Watching some of them train made him even more aware of how sharp Keith’s pilots instincts were.

He was at the Garrison by seven a.m. on Tuesday morning so that he could finish work early enough to train with Keith. He had a busy morning and it was almost eleven before he returned to his desk. Checking his messages, he found two from Danny, asking Shiro to call back ASAP.

Shiro did so and was immediately greeted with, “About time! I’ve been trying to reach you all morning!”

He frowned at Danny’s tone. “Is everything okay?”

“I don’t know – that kid whose file you asked me for is missing.”

Something cold slithered over Shiro. “What do you mean he’s missing?”

“I mean his foster parents called the police last night and said he’d run away.”

“Run away?” Shiro repeated. “Why would he run away?”

“He was suspended from school yesterday.”

“Suspended?! For what?”

“He put another kid in the hospital.” 

Shiro felt sick. _Keith, what have you done?_ “How? What happened?”

“No clue, I wasn’t on duty. The only reason I know about it is because I had an email alert when I came in this morning. I put a flag on any calls from that house after you asked me to.”

“Do you have any other details?” 

“Only that his foster parents collected him from school and banished him to his room. When his foster mom went to check on him, he was gone.”

Dread thudded in Shiro’s chest. “Hang on, are you saying that Keith made it home from school? He didn’t just run away afterwards?”

“Well, yeah. That’s how we know he ran away; kid left a note.”

“Keith wouldn’t leave a note,” said Shiro, dread turning to horror. He may not know him very well, but Shiro knew that Keith wouldn’t bother leaving a note. He’d had no permanence or ties in his life for the last six years; there was no one to leave a note for.

“Shiro, you don’t know that–”

“Yes, I do! Danny, are the police treating this as a missing person or a runaway?”

“As a runaway. Why does it matter?”

“Because he didn’t run away! Danny, you need to investigate–”

“Shiro, this isn’t my case,” his friend interrupted. “I have no authority. Besides, why would you think the kid didn’t run away? He has a history of it.”

“He ran away _once_ because his foster mother was poisoning him!” snapped Shiro. “Danny, I’m telling you, he didn’t run away. Something’s happened to him!”

“Shiro, my hands are tied. This isn’t my case and there’s no evidence to suggest foul play.”

“But we have to do _something!_ ” Shiro could feel panic scratching beneath his skin. 

“Do what? Shiro, if I go to anyone with this, it’s going to get out that I illegally obtained his file! That could cost us both our jobs. And I can’t let that happen, you know me and Jen have a kid on the way.”

“What if I got more evidence?” asked Shiro desperately. “I could make a report, right?”

“What kind of evidence?” demanded Danny suspiciously. 

“I don’t know yet.”

“Shiro, don’t do anything stupid. You have even more to lose than me from a professional standpoint.”

“Danny, right now I don’t care!” Shiro snapped, then softened his tone. “Sorry. It’s just…something bad has happened to Keith. I know it.”

Danny sighed. “Alright, fine. You get whatever evidence you can, then call me.”

“Thank you!” 

Shiro hung up. Grabbing his jacket and keys, he left the Garrison without telling anyone where he was going. He didn’t have time to waste explaining this – Keith had been missing since yesterday!

Guilt tore Shiro apart as he pressed his bike beyond the town speed limits. _Why_ had he tried to fix things himself? Why didn’t he just go to the police with his suspicions from the start? Social services may have screwed up with Keith, but Shiro had screwed up by allowing this to happen. He should have gotten Keith away from Jansen and then worked on getting him out of the system. Keith would be here by now if he had, instead of missing and possibly…

Shiro swallowed. He would never forgive himself if Keith wasn’t okay.

Pulling up in front of the Jansen house, he yanked off his helmet and stormed up the path. Reaching the porch, he kept his finger on the buzzer until the door was pulled open by a furious Greg Jansen.

Horror flooded Shiro at the sight of scratches on Jansen’s left eye. It was one of the areas he had told Keith to aim for when defending himself. 

Jansen bristled and clenched his fists. “What the fuck are _you_ doing here?!”

“I want to see Keith,” Shiro demanded, squaring up to Jansen’s aggressive stance.

“He ain’t here!” Jansen snapped, moving to close the door.

Shiro caught the door and took a step closer. “I want to see Keith,” he repeated, slow and dangerous. “Right. _Now_.”

“You deaf? I said he ain’t here! Kid ran away last night.”

“Keith didn’t run away and you know it!” Shiro hissed through clenched teeth. “Where is he?”

Jansen paled a little. “How should I know?!”

“Don’t lie!” Shiro practically snarled. He’d never in his life felt so angry. “Where’s Keith? What did you do to him?!”

“I didn’t do nuthin’ to him!”

“Then how’d you get those scratches?” Shiro pointed to his eye.

Jansen froze, one hand reaching up to touch the eye. “That…it happened at work! One of the machines blew a gasket and hit me in the face!”

“Doesn’t look like something hit you, looks to me like someone scratched you.”

“What would you know?” Jansen sneered. “And who the fuck d’ya think you are coming here accusin’ me of stuff! You don’t know shit!”

“I know more than you think.” 

“Is that so?” Jansen loomed threateningly over him. “Well, you ain’t a cop, so get off my porch before I throw you off!” 

“I’d like to see you try,” Shiro challenged. “But you won’t find me as easy to slap around as a twelve-year-old kid!”

Jansen’s eyes practically popped with rage. “I didn’t hit no kid! And you got no proof that says I did. Now get the fuck outta here before I call the cops and tell them you’re a fucking pervert who’s been sniffing ‘round the kid!”

His words struck home and Shiro faltered for a moment, allowing Jansen to slam the door shut. 

Shiro recovered quickly and banged on the door. “Jansen! _Jansen!_ You go ahead and call the police! It doesn’t bother me – I’m not the one who has something to hide! Jansen!”

He hammered on the door for several minutes but it didn’t open again. Furious, frustrated and desperate, Shiro tried to peer into the backyard, but the high fence made it impossible. He returned to the front sidewalk and stared up at the house.

“Where are you, Keith?” he muttered.

“Sssssst!” a voice hissed suddenly and Shiro jerked.

A small, grey-haired woman was crouched in the bushes of the house on the right. Her eyes widened when he looked at her and she gestured towards the Jansen house. “Don’t look at me, look at the house!”

Shiro ignored her. “Who are you?” 

“For God’s sake, look at the house!” she moaned.

Sighing in frustration, Shiro complied. His nerves were too on edge to deal with this crap. “Who are you?” he asked again.

“Ada Morton, I live here. Are you…with Galaxy Garrison?”

Shiro nodded, brimming with impatience. “Yes. Now, what’s this about?”

“I heard you and Greg yelling at each other, and the cops were here last night. I heard them saying Keith ran away…”

Shiro couldn’t stop himself from glancing at her. “You know Keith?”

She gestured frantically towards the Jansen house once more. “The house! Look at the house!”

Trying not to snap, Shiro did so. “What do you know about Keith?”

“He’s a nice boy – mowed my lawn a few times when he was doing theirs. Is Greg saying he ran away?”

“Yes, but I don’t believe it.” It occurred to Shiro that she was out here for a reason. “Why? Ms. Morton, do you _know_ something?”

“I’m not talking to the police.”

“I’m not the police,” said Shiro quickly. 

“Yeah, but you’re gonna call them if I tell you, and I’m not talking to the police.”

“Ms. Morton, a kid is missing. If you can help–”

“I gotta protect my babies,” she told him. “Greg is a bad man. I talked to the police before and then my Jasper disappeared. I know he took my baby to get back at me.”

It took everything Shiro had not to turn around and stare at her. “He took your son?!”

“I don’t have kids.”

Shiro frowned. “But you said…”

“My cats are my babies.”

“Cats?!” Shiro couldn’t keep the disbelief out of his voice. “You’re putting _cats_ above the life of a twelve-year-old boy?!”

“They’re my babies!” she insisted stubbornly.

“Ms. Morton, you can’t be serious–”

“Don’t you judge me!” the woman cried, sounding close to tears. “They’re all I have, my only family. And he _took_ my baby!”

There was real devastation in her voice and Shiro couldn’t help but feel pity for her. She was just a lonely old woman, whose only companionship in the world were some cats. It was sad to think that such lonesome people existed. “I’m sorry, Ms. Morton,” he told her quietly. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“He took my baby,” she repeated.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“I’ve got to protect my babies.”

“And I understand that, but you see,” Shiro swallowed the lump in his throat, “I’ve got to protect Keith. He doesn’t have anyone else.”

“I don’t want to talk to the police,” she whispered.

“I know.” Shiro did his best to keep his voice soothing. “I promise I won’t make you talk to the police.”

“Okay…” she sounded hesitant. “But I didn’t know at first. There’s always a lot of yelling.”

Shiro blinked. “Yelling?”

“Yelling,” she confirmed. “I hear it all the time. My walls are very thin, you see.”

Shiro realized she was telling him what she knew. “I do see. Please go on.”

“You don’t hear it much during the day unless Greg is home. He likes to yell a lot. He yelled at me that time with the police, and then he took my Jasper.”

Shiro resisted the urge to demand that she get to the point. 

“I don’t think he’d be very nice to live with,” Ms. Morton added. “All that yelling…I don’t know how Kara stands him.”

 _Kara’s too terrified to leave him_ , thought Shiro, but stayed silent while the old woman continued her story.

“The yelling was different yesterday. I didn’t pay any heed at first, not until someone else started yelling. I’ve never heard anyone else yelling before.”

“Was it Keith?” asked Shiro anxiously.

“I don’t know. It was hard to tell who was who with all the yelling but…” her voice dipped to a hushed whisper, “there was screaming after the yelling.”

Shiro’s blood ran cold. “Screaming?”

“A lot of screaming. It sounded awful.”

Shiro thought he might throw up. His heart was pounding as he stared up at the impassive façade of the Jansen house. _Keith_ …

“You– you’re not going to tell anyone about me, are you?” asked Ms. Morton in a small voice. “I don’t want Greg to hurt my babies.”

Shiro clenched his fists. This man was such a brute even his neighbour was terrified of him! “I’m afraid I’m going to have to tell someone, Ms. Morton, but I promise, Greg Jansen won’t hurt you or your babies ever again.”

Shiro was going to make sure Greg Jansen never hurt anyone again.

oOo

Shiro burned from the urge to rescue Keith, despite the cool air swirling around him.

“Keith,” he mumbled. Jansen had done something to him, he knew it. He had to– 

“Shiro?”

Voices sounded, followed by a _whooshing_ noise. Shiro’s eyes opened just as he stumbled forward. Hands caught him and Shiro looked up into two pairs of blue eyes.

 _Allura,_ his brain supplied. _Lance._

He opened his mouth to ask what was happening, but all that came out was, “Wharr?”

“Easy, Shiro,” said Allura gently. “You just spent two quintents in a cryo-pod.”

Shiro blinked at her, not understanding.

“You were wounded quite badly,” she explained. 

Memories exploded in one terrifying flash. “Keith!” Shiro gasped, straightening up. “Where’s Keith?”

“Still in a pod,” Lance answered, glancing over his shoulder with a grim expression.

Shiro immediately looked over the blue paladin’s head to see Keith in the cryo-pod right next to his. The boy was still wearing the dark pants, but his shirt had been removed, giving a clear view of the horrifying wounds on his shoulders and arms. 

“Is he okay?” Shiro demanded.

“We are not sure,” Allura admitted. “There was a great deal of damage to his shoulders and arms – it will be another quintent or two before we will know if the cryo-pod can fix it.”

“What if it can’t?” asked Shiro, eyes glued to Keith.

“He may lose movement in his arms,” answered Allura softly.

Shiro whipped his head around to stare at her. 

Sadness glistened in Allura’s eyes. “I am sorry, Shiro.”

Numb with shock, Shiro couldn’t respond.

“You should sit down,” said Allura, after a moment.

She and Lance guided him towards the nearest chair. It was only then Shiro noticed Pidge, Hunk, and Coran hovering anxiously in the background.

“Shiro, are you okay?” asked Pidge once he was sitting down.

“I’m alive, which…how am I alive? What happened? How did we get out? Did we find anything?” Anxiety pressed down on him. _Please don’t let all this have been for nothing._

“Now, take it easy, Shiro,” Coran chided gently. “Allura will tell you everything. But you’re still very weak so let’s not get overexcited, hmmmm?”

“I’m out of the healing pod, Coran,” Shiro reminded him. “I’m fine.”

“You are not fine,” Allura disagreed. “To activate your Galra arm on that ship, you drew from your own quintessence instead of the arm’s power source. It will take several quintents before your body can replenish the quintessence.”

Shiro was perplexed. “What are you talking about?”

Allura frowned at him. “I told you energy sources do not work the same way in the dead zone. Your arm’s energy source was dead, but because it has a biological connection to you, you can power it using your body’s quintessence. However, doing so drains you of quintessence.”

“Is that why my arm didn’t have its usual power?”

“Yes.”

Shiro stared at his prosthetic and flexed its fingers, while Coran started to fuss over him and check his vitals. Finally, Shiro looked up. “What happened on that ship? How did you defeat the Rykurians? How did we _escape_?”

It was Coran who answered. “I was keeping an eye on the ship – Pidge had shown me how to burst scan so I wouldn’t drain the castle – and saw a second ship with twenty-three Rykurians arrive. I set a course for the ship as soon as that happened.”

“Lucky he did,” interjected Pidge. “Otherwise you and Keith would have bled out before we could get you in a pod.”

“But how did you take them all down?” Shiro demanded. His team were great paladins, but only Shiro and Keith were close-range fighters. Hunk and Lance were shooters, and Pidge was their tech expert. Allura was incredible, but even she wasn’t a match for thirty Rykurians in close-combat.

“We managed to get out the other door and double around to take them from behind,” Pidge explained.

“Plus, you’d already taken out _ten_ and practically blinded two,” Lance added. 

“Actually, one of those kills was Keith,” said Shiro, eyes going back to the unconscious boy behind the glass. “And he put another one’s eye out before they…” Shiro shuddered.

There was a moment of silence, which was broken by Lance coughing. “Yeah, well, it evened the odds for us.”

“You mean it evened the odds for Allura,” Hunk corrected. “She did most of the ass-kicking. You should have seen her, Shiro, she was awesome! She took out four of them before they even realized we were coming in from behind.”

Shiro glanced at the princess. Of course she had been the one to decimate the Rykurians; Allura was formidable in everything she did.

“Thank you, Hunk,” said Allura. “But I could not have done it without the rest of you. You showed more skill than I would have guessed with a blade.”

“Yeah, especially Lance,” said Pidge, giving the blue paladin a slightly impressed, slightly frowning look. “He totally whaled on the three who…the three that…” 

“The three that were chowing down on Keith,” Lance finished in a harsh tone, for once not preening under the praise. He clenched his fist and muttered something under his breath that might have been Spanish before glancing over at Keith. “Stupid mullet! How the heck did he end up down there anyway?!”

“He jumped down to help me when they got me with the spear,” Shiro replied, following Lance’s gaze towards the occupied cryo-pod. Keith looked less peaceful in stasis than Shiro would have expected, and he wondered if the boy were having a nightmare. Given all that had just happened, it wouldn’t be surprising. 

“Stupid mullet,” Lance muttered again.

“So, uhhh…” Hunk was staring at Lance. “Where _did_ you learn to kinda use a sword anyway?”

Lance’s shoulders dropped. “Keith’s been giving me some pointers, before he…you know…” Lance gestured towards the pod.

“Before he was deaged?” Pidge asked, one eyebrow raised.

Lance nodded, looking a little sheepish. 

Shiro’s eyebrows went up. He hadn’t realized Keith and Lance were training together. He was about to comment on their teamwork improving when something else occurred to him. “Why does this sound like the first time you guys have talked about what happened on the Rykurian ship?”

“Because it is,” Allura answered. “A lot has happened in the last few days.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Hunk put in. “Like, we all had to spend time in a pod after the Rykurian ship. Me and Lance were really clawed up, and Pidge had a concussion.”

“And the War Chief pretty much tore shreds into Allura,” Pidge added.

“War Chief?” Shiro repeated. 

“War Chiefs are Rykurians’ most ferocious warriors,” Coran explained. “They’re stronger, bigger and more experienced than other Rykurians. They usually lead their raiding parties or battleships.”

“The big one with all the scars,” said Shiro, remembering. “He was the one who stabbed me.” He turned to look at Allura. “You took him down?”

She nodded. “It was not easy. But knowing I had more to lose helped me to win in the end.”

The other paladins looked at Allura with the same admiration that Shiro was feeling. 

“Once the War Chief was down, we fought our way off the ship against the remaining Rykurians,” Allura continued. “They had found and destroyed our pod, probably on the War Chief’s orders. We also suspect he was the one who closed the door to trap you alone–”

A loud wail interrupted her. 

Shiro jerked, although none of the others seemed surprised. Hunk was even smiling.

“The little guy’s awake!” he cried, darting off to a corner of the cryo-chamber where what looked like a crib was standing. 

Lance was hot on his heels. “It’s my turn to feed him, Hunk!” 

“No, it’s your turn to change him,” Hunk returned. “You got to feed him last time.”

Pidge sighed in exasperation. “Idiots,” she muttered, as Hunk leaned in over the crib and lifted out a bundle of blankets that looked suspiciously like…

Another loud wail confirmed Shiro’s suspicions. “Is that a _baby_?”

Allura nodded. 

“How…why is there a baby?” asked Shiro, bewildered, watching Hunk trot back with the bundle of blankets cradled in his arms, Lance trailing behind him with a pout. 

“This is what the Rykurians were using to control the Govnex,” Allura explained, reaching towards Hunk and tugging back the blankets around the baby’s head to reveal tufts of white hair and green skin.

Shiro’s jaw dropped.

“It’s a baby Govnex,” Hunk explained unnecessarily. 

“I…can see that,” said Shiro faintly, watching small, fat fists flail as the baby howled. 

“Awww, is someone hungry?” Hunk cooed at the baby. “Coran, I think he needs his bottle.”

“Just a tick, Number Two,” said Coran brightly and left the room.

Hunk continued to croon at the baby in a high-pitched tone. “Do you need your bawba, little guy? Yes, you do. Yes, you do!”

“Hunk, do you really need to use that voice?” Pidge complained, taking two steps back, her face scrunching in annoyance. The baby continued to cry. 

“It’s so he knows we’re looking after him,” Hunk explained, still in the high-pitched tone. “Isn’t it, little guy? Yes, it is. Yes, it is.”

Shiro managed to shake off his shock. “How did the Rykurians get their hands on him?”

“I have no idea,” Allura replied. “I never even knew such a thing existed. None of the lore about Govnex mentions children. It has always been assumed that they are ancient, immortal beings who do not reproduce, that they have always just…existed.”

“Sounds like a case of who came first, the chicken or the egg,” Pidge put in, staring in distaste as Lance tickled beneath the baby’s chin with a finger. 

“Chicken and egg?” repeated Allura.

“It’s a philosophical debate on Earth,” Shiro replied distractedly, as Coran reappeared with a strange, banana-shaped bottle, some sort of teat sticking out of the middle of it. Hunk took the bottle and tilted it towards the baby, who immediately stopped crying and began sucking with gusto.

“Should you be giving him that?” Shiro asked. “What if we make him sick with food he shouldn’t be getting?”

“Not to worry. Lavarian nectar is universally considered the best thing to feed babies,” Coran replied. “And it’s better than what the Rykurians were feeding him.”

Shiro raised an eyebrow. “Which was?”

“Blood,” said Allura, nose wrinkling. “It is what they feed their young.”

“Which is, like, another gross, disgusting thing about Rykurians,” Hunk added in a quiet voice. “Poor little guy…”

Shiro stared at the baby nestled against Hunk. He couldn’t believe that this tiny creature was the reason for all the suffering they’d encountered over the last few days. “We need to return him so the Govnex stop helping the Rykurians.”

“We are working on that,” said Allura. “The Kovacians sent scouts to locate them for us.”

“Why the Kovacians? Why not take the lions to track them ourselves?” asked Shiro.

“The lions and the castle haven’t fully recharged after their time in the dead zone. We had no choice but to ask the Kovacians.”

“But it bothers you,” Shiro observed, seeing something in the tight expression on Allura’s face. “Why?”

“The Kovacians do not know about the baby. They think we want to destroy the Govnex, not make a deal with them.”

Shiro raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t tell them about the baby?” 

“The Kovacians are warriors. If they knew about this baby, they would demand his immediate death in recompense for the deaths of their people and the King’s daughter.”

“But he’s a baby,” said Shiro, horrified. “He’s innocent!”

“Not to them,” replied Allura. “Not when so many have died at the hands of the Govnex.” 

“How are you going to explain this to them once they find the Govnex?” Shiro demanded. “They’re going to expect us to kill them!”

“I do not know,” Allura admitted. “But for now, we are staying in the castle and keeping the baby hidden from the Kovacians.”

“Hidden? Wait! You mean we’re _on_ Kovac?”

Allura nodded. “We had to return the other aliens once they came out of their pods, and we needed a safe place to recharge the castle after the energy drain in the dead zone.”

Shiro glanced around. It hadn’t registered with him that the podded aliens were gone. “I don’t like this. The Kovacians could retaliate if we strike a deal with the Govnex. And what if they find out the baby is here?”

Pidge came to Allura’s defence. “We didn’t have much choice, Shiro. The castle barely made it out of the dead zone. And we needed to recharge it quickly so there would be enough power for the cryo-pods to heal you and Keith. You guys were almost _dead_ when we put you in there.” 

“Pidge is right,” said Allura. “Had the castle lost all power while you were in the pods, it would have killed you both. And Keith is still in a very delicate phase of the healing cycle, interrupting that now could be dangerous.”

They all looked towards the pod Keith was suspended in. His arms and shoulders still looked mangled, even after two days in a pod. Allura was right; interrupting the cycle would be devastating. 

Shiro sighed. “Alright, fine. But these things are powerful – what do we do when the baby uses magic? We won’t be able to hide it.”

“That will not be a problem,” Allura replied. “It appears he does not have magic yet.”

“Yeah, he’s pretty much just a regular baby for now,” Lance put in.

“For now?” Shiro repeated. “What if he gains magic and can’t control it _because_ he’s a baby?”

Allura met his eyes. “Then we shall just have to– how did you describe it…play our ears?”

If his misgivings about this whole scenario weren’t so huge, Shiro would have laughed at her attempt at an Earth expression.

But the way things stood right now, he couldn’t even bring himself to correct her mistake.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, broken record time: thanks yet again to the wonderful people who commented and left kudos. I really appreciate it.
> 
> Also, just FYI, I am aware that Keith's age is not correct, but I had finished this story and started posting before the paladins' ages were confirmed in the handbook.

Shiro found the next two days _stressful_.

For one thing, hiding the baby Govnex was difficult. Every time the Kovacians entered the castle, Lance or Hunk had to take the baby to a far part of the ship. Both were surprisingly good with him, but that didn’t make it any easier to keep him hidden and quiet when he wanted to play. He was alarmingly playful for a supposedly all-powerful being, and there had been more than one close call.

Then there was Pidge, who avoided the baby at all costs, treating him like a bomb ready to go off whenever she had babysitting duty. Shiro wasn’t sure if it was because the baby was a Govnex or whether Pidge just wasn’t comfortable around kids, although he suspected it was the latter. She seemed indifferent to the baby whenever someone else was caring for it. 

Shiro had to admit, he too found the baby a little nerve-wracking. It was, after all, the progeny of a frighteningly powerful creature. It could blow them all to smithereens with a _sneeze_ if its powers came in at the wrong time.

Also exacerbating Shiro’s stress levels was Keith’s condition. The boy was still in a cryo-pod and they didn’t yet know if his injuries were going to be permanent. Coran had told them the cryo-pods could regrow damaged cells but that it was a slow and delicate process. Not to mention the Rykurians had shredded the muscles and nerves in Keith’s arms and shoulders. The damage might be too much, even for a cryo-pod.

Shiro sighed as he made his way towards the cryo-chamber. Between the stress of hiding the baby Govnex, his worry over Keith, and guilt over what the Rykurians might be doing while Voltron was grounded, his nerves were shattered. And he couldn’t even train to ease his frustrations because he was so drained after their last battle he’d spent most of the last two days sleeping. Allura had explained that his body was replenishing its quintessence, but Shiro was still tired of feeling tired…even if it _was_ nice to get some real sleep for a change. The last two nights he’d been so exhausted he hadn’t even had his usual nightmares.

He shook his head as he entered the cryo-chamber. It was a heck of a way to alleviate his insomnia. 

The others were already there, clustered in front of Keith’s cryo-pod while Coran examined its readings. Hunk was holding the baby Govnex, who was tugging at his headband with its chubby little hands. Pidge was eyeing the baby mistrustfully.

“How’s Keith?” Shiro asked, gazing at the frozen boy. His arms and shoulders looked much less ravaged today.

“Coran has not yet finished assessing his vitals,” answered Allura. “How are you feeling?”

Shiro shrugged. “Not as tired.”

It didn’t look like Allura was satisfied with that answer, but Shiro jumped in with a question before she could enquire further. “Any word from the Kovacians?”

Allura shook her head. “Not yet, but King Icknu is due to contact me soon. I hope he will have some information on the Govnex’s location.”

“Me too,” said Shiro. He hated waiting, doing nothing. The longer it took them to break the Rykurians’ hold over the Govnex, the more chance there was of innocent people dying. But he wasn’t going to remind Allura of that when he knew the princess was struggling with the same guilt that he was. 

“Well, here’s some good news,” Coran announced. “The worst of Keith’s injuries have healed; there won’t be any long-term damage to his arms.”

A mix of cheers and relieved sighs echoed, and for the first time since their battle on the Rykurian ship Shiro felt like he could breathe properly. Even though he wasn’t responsible for Keith being on that ship, he would never have forgiven himself if Keith didn’t regain full movement in his arms. 

“When does he get out of the pod?” Lance asked, head twisted sideways as the baby Govnex leaned over Hunk’s arms and pulled at his hair, trying to fit it in his mouth. Lance was weirdly oblivious to the baby trying to gnaw on his hair, but Pidge was staring at him like he he’d lost his mind.

Coran sighed. “Not for another quintent or two I’m afraid.”

“What!” Lance jerked his head up, causing the baby to protest loudly. “Why so long?”

“The pod is also working on some older injuries that weren’t fully healed,” Coran explained. 

“You mean those scratches the Rykurians gave him back on Dovarian?” Hunk asked.

“Well…yes, but also,” Coran rubbed at his moustache, “it seems Keith has remnants of a broken arm and wounds to his back – the pod zoned in on them once it was finished with his more pressing injuries.”

They all looked at Shiro, who went cold with sudden realization. Keith had said it was three weeks since Shiro had dropped him at the Holchecks, meaning it had only been five or six weeks since–

“Shiro, why does Keith have a broken arm?” Pidge demanded.

“And what wounds to his back?” Lance wanted to know, eyes narrowed. 

Shiro shook his head. “Guys, I can’t–”

“Shiro,” interrupted Allura, “do you remember I told you I would want an explanation if Keith’s mistrust became an issue?”

“It’s not an issue,” Shiro began, but Allura cut him off.

“Keith put our mission at risk by stowing away in that pod.”

“How can you say that?” Shiro argued. “We might never have gotten into that room without Keith. And I’d be dead if he wasn’t there! He took down a Rykurian, Allura. He helped us.”

“Regardless of the outcome, he still jeopardized the mission. I am sorry, Shiro. I know you want to protect Keith, but there is too much at stake here. Keith does not trust us and it is creating problems.”

“How is it creating problems?” Shiro demanded.

Allura folded her arms. “You mean aside from jeopardizing our mission? He barely speaks to us–”

“He spent time with Hunk and Pidge working on the Green Lion, didn’t he?” Shiro cut in.

“And have you seen him speak with any of us since then?” Allura asked. “Other than when he was forced to on our mission?”

Shiro opened his mouth, then froze when he realized that he hadn’t. Two images flashed into his memory: Keith standing several feet away from the paladins with his arms crossed the first time Shiro had exited the cryo-pod, and Keith sitting at the very end of the kitchen table, as far away as he could manage from the other paladins. 

“He suggested using swords against the Rykurians,” Shiro said at last.

“He suggested it to _you_ ,” Allura replied. “We were all engaged in that discussion, but Keith only looked at you when he spoke.”

“Keith just doesn’t know you guys yet. Give him time.”

Allura sighed. “We do not _have_ time, Shiro, especially if we cannot turn Keith back. We are at war and we need him to trust us.”

“Knowing his past won’t make him trust you,” Shiro pointed out.

“Perhaps not, but at least we may respond better to him if we understand where he is coming from, especially if you are not here.”

“But–”

Allura cut across him. “Did you know he attacked Coran and Hunk when they put you in a cryo-pod after the battle on Domeer?”

Shiro was taken aback. “He…what? Why would he do that?”

It was Hunk who answered. “We don’t know, Shiro, that’s kinda the point. He entered this room, saw you in a pod and freaked out. When we tried to calm him down, he shoved Coran into a table and punched me in the face.” Hunk scrunched up his nose. “He hits pretty hard for such a little guy.”

“He spent the whole day that you were in the pod totally silent,” Lance added, arms crossed and face uncharacteristically serious. “Didn’t speak to us once. That’s not normal, Shiro.” 

Shiro stared at them. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?” 

“There wasn’t time,” Pidge answered. “We practically went straight to the Rykurian ship after you got out of the pod and then you ended up in one again.”

“And we did not want to worry you while you were recovering,” Allura added. “But we cannot ignore this any longer, Shiro. We do not know how to deal with Child Keith because we do not know what we are dealing with.”

Shiro knew she was right, but that didn’t make him any less sick to his stomach about revealing Keith’s past. Unfortunately, Keith’s mistrust was a problem if he was lashing out at the others when Shiro wasn’t there. And if they couldn’t turn Keith back, the team would need to understand Keith in order to deal with his outbursts.

Because there had been a lot of those in the months following Greg Jansen, and Shiro had taken the brunt of Keith’s anger more times than he could remember.

With a defeated sigh, Shiro sank into the nearest chair and gestured for the others to do the same. “Alright, fine. But if we ever get Keith back to normal, don’t mention this to him unless he brings it up. He has…issues about his past.”

“He doesn’t have a family, does he?” stated Pidge quietly. “I mean, he’s never mentioned them, not once. And he leaves the room whenever we talk about our families.”

“He has a family now,” Shiro replied firmly. “All of us, we’re a family. But, yes, Keith did grow up without one. He never knew his mom and his dad died when he was six. He bounced around the foster system until he was twelve, but some of those families had no business being anywhere near vulnerable kids.”

“What is a foster system?” Allura wanted to know.

Grinding the heels of his hands into his exhausted eyes, Shiro gave a brief explanation of how Earth’s foster system worked, before launching into a quick rundown of Keith’s first seven foster families. 

“But they weren’t even the worst,” Shiro finished, shaking his head. “Keith was living with the Jansens when I met him, and Greg Jansen…” his hands clenched into fists, “… _he_ was the worst.” 

His old hatred of Jansen flaring up again, Shiro tumbled into the awful memories of that day.

oOo

_Planet Earth, 2090_ …

“Did you get the warrant?” Shiro demanded, before Danny was even fully out of the police car.

“Of course. But, Shiro, are you sure about this?” Danny pointed across the car roof to a second officer exiting the vehicle. “Ed here says the neighbour isn’t the most reliable eye-witness.”

“I believe my exact words were that the old broad is bat-shit crazy,” the other man corrected, coming around the car to join them. “Elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top, you know what I’m saying?”

“She was perfectly lucid when she spoke to me,” replied Shiro coldly. “A little odd maybe, but definitely within her right mind.”

“Easy, man,” the officer replied, holding his hands up. “Just saying I interviewed her about a noise complaint she made against the Jansens: she rambled for nearly forty minutes about yelling, served me _nettle_ juice, and insisted that Jansen was possessed by the devil. Then two days later, smooth as you like, she retracted her statement, saying she’d just been hearing the TV! I mean, who does that shit?”

“She was scared,” said Shiro. “One of her cats disappeared and she thinks Jansen killed it as a warning.”

“And there’s no proof he up and ganked the tabby,” Ed disagreed. “How do you know the old lady wasn’t hearing things last night?”

“I don’t. But I’m not willing to take that chance with Keith’s life. Are you?” 

Ed looked away quickly. “Eh, whatever. It’s your neck on the line.”

“He’s right about that, Shiro,” Danny cut in. “Judge Orwell was _not_ pleased about being pushed for the warrant and it’ll be your neck if we don’t find anything. Who the hell did you talk to to get the warrant through this fast?”

“A friend,” said Shiro, hesitant to bring Commander Holt’s name even further into this. 

After talking to Ada Morton, Shiro knew Keith didn’t have time for him to go through the usual channels. Desperate, and without the connections to push a warrant through, he’d called Commander Holt for help. The senior officer had listened to Shiro’s frantic tale, before telling him to sit tight, that he’d take care of it.

Commander Holt called back an hour later to tell Shiro the warrant was taken care of. Shiro had called Danny, then spent the next thirty minutes pacing the sidewalk outside the Jansen house.

Danny gave him a shrewd look. “Have you been here the whole time?”

Shiro nodded. “Ms. Morton said neither of the Jansens have left the house since the disturbance yesterday, so that means Keith is still in there. I wasn’t giving Jansen the chance to move him.”

“They could have moved him during the night when she was sleeping,” Danny pointed out.

Shiro shook his head. “She’s pretty adamant that nobody left. She said she would have heard them.”

“Shiro…” Danny hesitated, putting a hand on his arm. “If this turns out to be true, you know there’s a chance the kid could be–”

“I know!” Shiro cut him off. “But I can’t think about that now.”

Danny sighed. “Fair enough.”

“Can I come in?” asked Shiro. “I think I’ll go crazy if I have to wait out here.”

Danny exchanged a look with the other officer. “You can come in with us, but you aren’t to aid in the search, touch anything, or address either of the Jansens, are we clear?”

“Crystal.”

“Then let’s do this.”

Shiro followed Danny up the path to the porch, watching as he pounded on the door. “Police! Open up!”

He had to knock a second time before heavy footsteps sounded and the door opened. Greg Jansen stood there, a scowl on his face. “Problem, officers?”

“We have a warrant to search these premises,” Danny told him, holding the paper out.

Jansen didn’t take it, instead glaring with hatred at Shiro. “This is his doing, isn’t it? You know he’s a stinkin’ pervert, right?”

Shiro clenched his fists and forced himself not to react.

“Mr. Jansen, please step aside,” said Danny calmly. “Things will go a lot easier if you co-operate.”

“Like I’ve got a choice.” Jansen snatched the proffered warrant and stepped aside. “But fine, search all you want – you won’t find nuthin’.”

It disturbed Shiro how certain he sounded.

“We’ll start with the boy’s bedroom first,” said Danny. “If you could show us where it is?”

“Top of the stairs, first door on the right. Knock yourselves out,” Jansen said, stamping towards a room at the end of the hall.

“Ed, stay with them,” said Danny in a low voice. “Shiro, come with me.”

Heart pounding, Shiro followed his friend upstairs. They entered a small bedroom with a few sparse belongings: a ball in the corner, some books on the shelf and a partially completed rubix cube on the nightstand. He hadn’t seen one of those since he was a kid visiting his grandparents – Shiro didn’t think they even made them anymore.

“Kid’s pretty neat,” Danny commented, searching the room.

“Yeah,” said Shiro absently, glancing around. _C’mon, Keith, where are you?_

He resisted the urge to tear the room apart, instead watching Danny search the closet and drawers. 

“Nothing here,” concluded Danny after several minutes. “No clothes or personal effects.”

“Jansen could have hidden them to make it look like Keith ran away,” Shiro argued. “That doesn’t prove anything.”

Danny gave him a look, but just said, “Fine, let’s check out the other rooms.”

The other rooms turned out to be as obsessively neat as Keith’s, without so much as a book out of place. It took almost an hour to search the upstairs because Shiro had Danny look in every nook and cranny, but they found nothing. 

“Guess we’ll try downstairs,” said Danny. 

Shiro could tell by his tone that he didn’t think they’d find anything. “What about the attic?” 

“The attic?”

“Entrance is just outside the master bedroom. Probably some kind of stira stairs…”

Danny sighed. “Shiro–”

“ _Please,_ Danny!”

“Okay, okay. We’ll check it.”

But the attic proved to be no more fruitful than the rooms: nothing but some old furniture, a bunch of Christmas decorations and a pile of yellowed recipe books.

The downstairs search turned up nothing either. They even searched the backyard. And as Danny pawed through the garbage and checked the lawn for fresh earth, the panic that had been scratching at Shiro ever since he discovered Keith was missing nearly overwhelmed him. Because Shiro _knew_ Jansen had done something to Keith, and he was beginning to fear they wouldn’t find him.

“Shiro,” said Danny, turning to him with a look of pity, “I don’t think–”

“We still haven’t searched the kitchen!” Shiro interrupted desperately. 

“Shiro–”

“Danny, I know how this looks, but please! I _know_ Jansen is guilty, and if we don’t find something now, I don’t think…” Shiro swallowed. “I don’t think we’ll ever find Keith.”

Danny stared at him for several seconds before nodding. “Alright.”

“Thank you.” 

Shiro followed Danny into the kitchen, heart plummeting when he saw the compact room. Cupboards, a window and sink lined the left and back walls, while a table and chairs – at which a smirking Greg Jansen sat – were pushed up against the right wall. The refrigerator was sitting against the fourth wall, just behind the door. There was nowhere to conceivably hide a kid.

“We done?” asked Ed, from where he was sitting across the table from Jansen, one hand wrapped around a coffee cup.

“Not quite,” said Danny, his voice tight. “We still need to search this room.”

“But I already searched it,” Ed protested.

Danny seemed taken aback. “You did?”

“Well, yeah. You were banging around the rest of the house for almost two hours and I wasn’t going to just sit here! Although I did really enjoy the coffee…thanks, Kara,” he added, lifting his cup in a _cheers_ gesture towards her.

Kara, standing by the sink and drying some dishes, made a weird motion between a bow and a nod. She was even paler than Shiro remembered, and he could see her hands shaking and wringing the towel tightly. 

Danny addressed Greg Jansen. “Thank you for co-operating with us, Mr. Jansen. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.”

Jansen snorted. “Damn right. Waste of police time going off the word of some crank. That old bat next door thinks Jesus talks to her for fuck’s sake!”

Shiro gave Ed a furious glare. Jansen wasn’t supposed to know about Ada Morton’s involvement. 

But Ed ignored him, instead getting to his feet. “Thank you for your time, folks. We’ll be getting out of your hair now.”

Shiro’s breathing quickened. They couldn’t leave! They hadn’t found anything yet!

His panic was shattered by a plate smashing on the floor. All eyes turned to Kara, who was staring at them with frightened eyes. “I– I’m sorry,” she said, trembling.

“Damn it, woman! Clean that up!” Jansen snapped.

Nodding frantically, she sank to the floor.

“We’ll be in contact if we have any new information about your foster son,” said Danny, frowning at Jansen’s tone. “In the meantime, if you hear from him…”

Shiro tuned Danny out when, still crouched on the floor collecting broken fragments, Kara glanced at Shiro from under her bangs and pointed furtively at the table with a trembling finger. 

He looked and saw nothing: the only things on the table were the two coffee mugs the men had been drinking from. He gave Kara the tiniest shrug of his left shoulder. 

Clearly terrified, Kara hunched over, side-eyeing to where Jansen was now getting to his feet and saying goodbye to the officers, before pointing towards the table again.

Shiro looked once more. What was she trying to tell him? 

Then he spotted it. Beneath the table and chairs, blending in with the wooden floorboards to the point of being almost indistinguishable, were the outlines of what looked like a trapdoor.

 _Basement!_ Shiro realized, hope blooming. 

He clutched his friend’s arm. “Danny, under the table – look!”

Danny frowned at him. “What?”

“Under the table,” repeated Shiro, pointing. “Basement access.”

Danny bent down and his eyes widened. “You’re right. Here, help me move the table, Ed.”

“You’re not going down there!” Jansen snapped at once. 

“Yes, we are,” replied Danny, eyes narrowing. 

Jansen balled his hands into fists. “This is my house and you’re not going down there! You don’t have the right.”

“Yes, we do,” Ed corrected, now studying Jansen with a hard, assessing look. “The warrant allows us to search the _entire_ house.”

Jansen shook his head, seemingly mute with fury. He glared at the officers, before flicking a hateful glance towards Shiro. Then his gaze fell on Kara. “YOU! What did you do?!” He moved towards her and she cried out, covering her head.

But Shiro got there first. “I don’t think so!” he hissed, catching Jansen’s fist as it swung towards Kara.

“Fucking bastard!” Jansen turned on Shiro.

Shiro reacted quickly. It didn’t matter that Jansen had three inches on him, Shiro was better trained. he had the big man pinned to the floor in seconds – right arm twisted up behind him and Shiro’s knee digging into his back. 

“Like I told you before,” said Shiro coldly, “I’m not as easy to slap around as a twelve-year-old kid.”

“This is police brutality!” Jansen screamed. “I’m pressing charges!”

“I’m not the police,” Shiro retorted. “But as an officer of Galaxy Garrison, it’s within my right to subdue a violent subject when civilian lives are threatened.”

Danny squatted down beside them and handed Shiro some handcuffs. “Mr. Jansen, I am placing you under arrest for the attempted assault of your wife and a Galaxy Garrison officer. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand what I am telling you?” he finished, as Shiro cuffed the man.

“SCREW YOU!”

“I’m gonna take that as a yes,” said Danny. “Ed, watch him. Shiro, help me move the table.”

Shiro did so, heart now pounding. Keith had to be down there, he just had to!

With the table out of the way, they could see that there was no actual handle to open the trapdoor, just a single hole through which to put a finger. No wonder Ed hadn’t seen it, even though he was sitting right on top of it.

Danny pulled back the door, revealing a ladder into darkness. “Let’s go, Shiro.”

Shiro followed quickly. His last view before his head disappeared beneath the floor was of Jansen glaring murderously, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was finding Keith.

“Found a switch,” called Danny, then light flickered from the centre of the room, a single bulb barely illuminating the dingy basement.

“Shiro, how did you know this was here?” Danny demanded, as Shiro stepped off the ladder. “This house didn’t even look like it had a basement.” 

“Kara told me,” Shiro replied distractedly, before calling out, “Keith?”

There was no response. 

They moved further into the basement. Three wooden beams running from floor to ceiling were spread across the room. Junk was piled against the walls, and the whole space smelled of damp and misuse, nothing like the spotless interiors of the rest of the house.

“These look like kids’ clothes,” said Danny suddenly, reaching towards a pile of material and snagging something.

Nausea swirled in Shiro’s gut. “That’s Keith’s jacket.”

“Guess he didn’t run away after all.” Danny looked him in the eyes. “I’m sorry I doubted you, Shiro.”

Shiro barely heard the apology. “If that’s his jacket, where’s Keith?”

“Let’s look around. This place isn’t very big; we’ll find him, Shiro. I’ll take this side, you search over there.”

Shiro went left to where Danny was pointing. He’d barely started rooting through the junk when Danny cried out.

“What is it? Did you find him?” demanded Shiro, hurrying over at once.

“No, I…” 

Shiro caught sight of the wooden beam Danny was staring at and almost stopped breathing. A single, bloody handprint rested on the wood.

“It’s too small to belong to an adult,” said Danny quietly. “Shiro…”

“No.” Shiro shook his head. “He’s not– KEITH!”

Still no response. 

Shiro jerked his head around, frantically looking for any sign of Keith. His eyes fell on an old freezer chest just six feet away, a padlock on it. Someone had drilled two holes in the lid of the freezer, almost like airholes.

With a sharp intake of breath, Shiro sprinted towards it, dropping to his knees and rattling the padlock. The freezer, thankfully, wasn’t switched on.

“Shiro, wait,” said Danny from behind him. “The Jansens probably have the key.”

“Good luck asking them for it!” snapped Shiro, throwing his gaze around and spotting a slightly bent crowbar lying on top of a rusty tool chest. _Perfect_. He snatched up the crowbar and wedged it under the padlock’s hasp on the side of the freezer.

“Shiro, what are you doing?” cried Danny, when he began using his weight as leverage to break the hasp. “Let me at least ask for the key before you–” 

The rest of his protests were drowned out by the snapping of metal. Throwing down the crowbar, Shiro yanked off the broken hasp and jerked the lid open.

His heart nearly stopped. Keith was crumpled on the floor of the freezer, bloody handprints dotting the wall and floor around him.

“Jesus Christ!” exclaimed Danny.

“Keith,” Shiro whispered, reaching for his neck. He was cold, but not icy, and Shiro could feel the faint throbbing of a pulse. Relief hit him like a sledgehammer. “He’s alive! Danny, help me get him out.” 

“Are you sure we should move him?”

“He’s cold, we need to warm him up, and we can’t assess him in there anyway. Now help me!”

Shiro leaned in and slipped his arms under Keith, using them to support his neck and shoulders. At the other end, Danny gripped his legs.

“On three,” Shiro told him. “One, two, _three!_ ”

They lifted Keith out and placed him carefully on the floor.

Shiro’s stomach knotted in fury as they knelt on either side of him. The kid’s face was bruised and puffy, his left eye so blackened it looked like it had swollen shut. His lip was split in two places, and dried blood had crusted beneath his nose. 

Shiro believed in non-violence, but at that moment he really wanted to go upstairs and choke the life out of Jansen.

“Shiro,” Danny cut across his rage, “you need to see this.”

His friend had rolled up Keith’s left sleeve, revealing inflamed welts and red gashes slashing up along his arm.

“What the hell?” Shiro exclaimed, carefully pulling up the other sleeve and discovering the same injuries.

“They look like defensive wounds,” Danny told him. 

Appalled, Shiro lifted Keith’s t-shirt to find more red welts and gashes, heavily concentrated on his left side. One of the welts was horribly vivid, showing the outline of what looked like a belt-buckle. A horrible suspicion crawled into Shiro’s brain. “Danny, help me roll him.”

They rolled the boy carefully onto his right side and Shiro leaned over Keith to discover the back of his black t-shirt was shredded in several places, its material damp. Swallowing, he lifted the t-shirt and it came away from his back with a sickening, peeling sound.

“Oh god,” whispered Danny, as they found the source of the blood.

Red lacerations and ripped gouges lined Keith’s back. Blood was still trickling sluggishly from some of the larger ones where the skin hung in tattered shreds, evidence of a savage assault. 

“He…whipped him,” said Shiro, staring in shock. 

“That son of a bitch!” Danny growled, shrugging off his jacket and folding it up. He placed it carefully against Keith’s back before getting to his feet. “Shiro, stay with him. I’m gonna call an ambulance.”

Shiro nodded, taking off his own jacket and covering Keith with it. His hands were shaking. How could anyone do this to another human being, much less to a kid?

“Keith?” he said, brushing the boy’s bangs out of his eyes. 

He hadn’t been expecting a response, so Keith’s soft moan made him jerk.

“Keith? _Keith!_ ”

The right eye fluttered and slitted open, but the blackened, swollen one remained shut.

“Keith?” Shiro repeated, leaning down a little. “Can you hear me?”

He could just about see the violet iris track from side to side beneath the half-closed lid. Then Keith whimpered. 

The sound made something hurt inside Shiro. “I’m sorry, Keith. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop this.”

The boy’s eye opened a little wider, dazedly flicking towards Shiro in an unfocused stare.

Shiro wasn’t sure if he was lucid, but still felt a desperate need to reassure him. “It’s Shiro, Keith. You’re safe now. And I promise, no one is _ever_ going to hurt you again. You hear me? I _promise_.”

Shiro didn’t care what it took, that promise was one he intended to keep.

oOo

There was dead silence as Shiro finished his tale. The other paladins seemed too appalled to even speak.

“It was your dad who found Keith a foster family after that,” Shiro told Pidge when the silence continued to stretch. “Friends of a friend who couldn’t have kids of their own.”

Pidge looked shocked. “Dad never said anything.”

Shiro shook his head. “Why would he? You were only a year or so younger than Keith, he wouldn’t have wanted you knowing that. Even Matt didn’t know the full story.”

“What about the family Keith went to?” Lance asked, voice a little strangled. “Did he…I mean, were they…nice?”

“The Holchecks were a good family and Keith stayed with them until he went to the Garrison at fifteen, but…” Shiro sighed. “Keith never really bonded with the Holchecks, no matter how hard they tried. I know he liked them, but I think there was a part of him that still expected to be dropped back into the system. He’s never really shaken that whole ‘people leave’ mentality.”

Shiro winced as it occurred to him that his disappearance on the Kerberos mission probably hadn’t helped. He knew it wasn’t his fault, but it still stung to think he had contributed to that mindset. 

“Is that why he was so mad at me when I wanted to leave and search for my family?” Pidge asked quietly.

Shiro shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe? I’ve known Keith for years, but I still don’t always know what’s going on in his head.”

“But he knows we’re not going anywhere, right?” said Hunk, the baby Govnex asleep on his shoulder. “I mean, he’s got us, we’re his family now. Teenage Keith knows that, right?”

Shiro didn’t respond. He wasn’t sure if Keith _did_ know that.

His silence was answer enough for Hunk, who drooped with a quiet “oh.”

“But Keith trusts you,” Allura commented. “As a child now, he responded to you when he would not even look at us.”

Shiro sighed. “I’m not sure if he fully trusts me or if he’s sticking close because I’m the only thing that’s familiar in the middle of all this craziness. Even after I helped rescue him from Jansen, it took a few months before Keith really trusted me.”

“But the fact that he eventually did trust you shows that he still has that capability,” Allura persisted. “That he can learn to trust us.”

Shiro tilted his head. “Are you talking about Kid Keith or Teenage Keith?”

“Both.”

“I’m pretty sure that Teenage Keith trusts you all at this point,” said Shiro.

“Not if he thinks we’d leave like everybody else did,” said Hunk quietly. 

“Yes, well.” Shiro had no other response to that.

“Guess we’re just going to have to prove to the dumb mullet that he’s stuck with us,” Lance spoke up, jaw set in determination. “Y’know, once he’s back to normal, and also while he’s…” Lance waved a hand towards the child in the cryo-pod.

Hunk’s eyes lit up. “Oh, oh! I can bake cookies! I mean, they probably won’t taste as good as the cookies on Earth but still…kids think space cookies are cool, right?”

“You sure you’re gonna have time while mother-henning the poop machine?” Pidge commented, jerking a thumb towards the sleeping baby.

“Don’t use bad words in front of the baby, Pidge!” Hunk scolded, cupping one hand around the baby’s head to block its ears.

Pidge rolled her eyes. “Since when is poop a bad word? Besides, it’s not like he even understands what we say.”

“You don’t know that,” Hunk objected. “And anyway, Keith understands us, so we shouldn’t be saying bad words in front of him either.”

Pidge rolled her eyes again.

Just then, the perimeter alarm sounded, making everyone jump and causing the baby to jerk awake with a loud wail.

“What’s going on? Are we under attack?” Shiro demanded, jumping to his feet as Allura brought up a screen.

She shook her head. “It is a delegation of Kovacians, and King Icknu is with them.”

“Okay, little man, time to hide,” Hunk told the baby, rocking him in an up and down motion.

“I’ll get his bottle,” Lance offered and shot off.

“We’ll be in the usual place,” Hunk said, still trying to soothe the baby as he left the room.

Allura turned to Shiro. “If King Icknu is here in person, then they must have discovered something about the Rykurians.”

Shiro’s jaw tightened. “Then let’s go see what they know.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per usual, thank you to all the amazing people who left comments and kudos. This fic was a bloody epic to write so I sincerely appreciate when people take the time to leave kudos or a few words. You guys are awesome. :)

“Princess Allura,” greeted King Icknu with a bow, “I apologize for the unannounced intrusion.”

“Please do not apologize, King Icknu,” replied Allura, returning the bow. “You are always welcome in this castle.”

“You are most gracious, Princess. Tell me, how is the Red Paladin?”

“He is healing well and should be released from the cryo-pod in another quintent or two.”

“I am happy to hear he will recover from his injuries. Please give my greetings to the other Voltron Paladins.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Allura said with a smile. “We are all most grateful for your hospitality.”

The king turned to greet Shiro and Coran, who bowed as Allura had done, Shiro doing his best to keep the impatience off his face. Even in space royalty demanded a certain level of etiquette, but that didn’t make it any less frustrating when time was an issue.

“Ah, Black Paladin Shiro,” King Icknu addressed him. “You are recovering well?”

Shiro forced a smile. “Much better, Your Majesty. Thank you.” 

“King Icknu, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?” asked Allura, and Shiro could see her own impatience glimmering beneath the surface. She might be a diplomat, but that didn’t mean she was immune to impatience when royal protocol bordered on excessive.

“I bring word on the Rykurians,” the tall, blue-grey monarch announced. “We received word from the Juinope. A Rykurian battleship entered their star system not two moons ago. They report a green figure was with them.”

Shiro narrowed his eyes. “The Govnex.”

“Have they attacked any planets?” demanded Allura anxiously.

“The Juinope reported no particulars on that,” the king responded. “But we should leave as soon as possible.”

“We?” Shiro repeated, tendrils of concern unfurling in his gut.

King Icknu nodded. “Of course, Black Paladin. Our fleet is at Voltron’s disposal.”

The tendrils blossomed into alarm. The Kovacians couldn’t come; they wanted blood, not peace.

Allura came to the rescue. “That is very kind, Your Majesty, but we cannot ask you to fight this evil.”

The king drew himself up to his full, very impressive, seven-foot height. “And we cannot ask Voltron to fight these things alone. Not when Voltron is weakened.”

“But we are no longer weakened,” Allura replied. “The castle has been fully charged thanks to Kovac’s hospitality, and the lions are back online. We are ready to defeat the Rykurians.”

The king’s amber eyes narrowed at Shiro and Allura. “But is the Red Paladin not still a child? How can you defeat something as powerful as the Govnex when you are missing a key soldier?”

“We think we know how to defeat it,” said Shiro. “You and your people don’t need to be in any more danger than necessary.”

“Kovacians are warriors, we do not fear danger,” King Icknu hissed. “And the Govnex declared war when it attacked our planet and killed my daughter! We will not rest until this thing is destroyed.”

His surrounding delegates all nodded their heads in furious agreement. 

“We will get justice for everyone who has been terrorized by the Rykurians,” Allura said. “That is a promise, Your Majesty. However, our plan to defeat the Rykurians requires stealth and we cannot achieve that with a whole fleet.”

King Icknu’s pig-like nose snorted. “What plan is this?”

“One of the utmost secrecy, Your Majesty. The fewer who know of it, the less likely it is to be discovered. But I will explain everything when we return successful.” 

King Icknu didn’t look convinced. “What if you are not successful?”

“We will be. But in the unlikely event that we are not, we will need a second wave against this threat, and the Kovacians are our only allies powerful enough to be that wave.”

Allura was pandering to his ego as a warrior, just the right amount of admiration in her eyes, and it looked like he was weakening under her warm smile and cajoling tone. Shiro knew she was good at diplomacy, but it was a little unsettling to see how those skills could be used for manipulation.

The king bowed low. “Then we will be ready should you call, Princess.”

Shiro refrained from breathing a sigh of relief.

Allura returned the bow. “Thank you, King Icknu. Voltron is forever grateful for your hospitality and friendship.”

“When will you leave Kovac?” King Icknu wanted to know.

“We will leave instantly,” Allura replied. “We need to stop the Rykurians before they harm any more people.”

“I’ll tell the others,” said Shiro, bowing to the king and nodding to the other Kovacians before striding out of the bridge, relieved at finally being able to do something.

He’d never been good at waiting.

oOo

_Planet Earth, 2090_ …

Shiro paced the hospital waiting room like a caged animal. He hadn’t seen Keith since he’d arrived in the ER and was whisked away by a team of doctors almost two hours ago. 

The waiting was killing him. 

He glanced at his watch and debated the merits of bothering the nurse at the admin desk again. Surely somebody knew something by now?

“Shiro?” 

He turned to find Commander Holt behind him. “Commander? What are you doing here?” 

“I never heard back from you and I couldn’t reach your cell, so I called the police station. I spoke with an officer named Danny who told me what happened. How’s Keith?”

“I don’t know.” Shiro glanced towards the admin desk again. “Nobody will tell me anything.”

“I’m sure he’ll be okay. From everything you’ve told me, he sounds like a tough kid.” 

“But there’s only so much a person can take.” Shiro dropped into a chair with his head in his hands. “How could I let this happen?! I should have gotten Keith out of there as soon as I suspected Jansen was hurting him!”

He felt the commander’s hand on his shoulder. “This isn’t your fault. You did the best you could in a bad situation.”

Shiro shook his head. “I should have gotten Keith away from Jansen and _then_ worked on getting him out of the system.”

“If Keith had gone back into the system, you’d never have seen him again. Social services would never have released a minor’s location to someone who wasn’t family. He would have been back in the foster system without anyone to look out for him.”

“But he’s going back into the system now anyway. So, Jansen nearly killed him and he’s _still_ going to be subjected to the luck of the foster system lottery. It was all for nothing.”

“Maybe not.”

Shiro dragged his head up and stared at the older man. “What do you mean?”

“You’re involved this time. All along there was no one to care about what’s been happening to Keith, but now there is. Social services can’t brush it under the carpet anymore.”

“But how much weight is my word going to have? Jansen is calling me…he’s suggesting–”

“I can imagine what he’s suggesting,” the commander cut him off in a hard voice. “But the word of a man who whipped a child and then locked him in a freezer is going to mean very little when compared to the Galaxy Garrison officer who saved the boy’s life. And make no mistake, Shiro,” Commander Holt’s voice softened, “you saved Keith’s life. He’s alive because of you.”

It didn’t make Shiro feel any better.

“Shiro,” Commander Holt tried again, “you came to me _and_ your friend at the police station about Keith. And didn’t you mention some guy who was letting you use his gym to train Keith in self-defence?”

“Tony,” Shiro filled in.

“Yes, him. My point is, anyone with lewd leanings towards a child would be doing their best to hide their interest in that child. You haven’t hidden the fact that you’ve been trying to help Keith. If anything, you’ve been seeking people out, which goes a long way towards disproving Jansen’s ridiculous accusations.”

“But will the Garrison see things that way?” asked Shiro. He knew his involvement in this could cost him his career.

“As far as the Garrison is concerned, you are an officer who just saved the life of a twelve-year-old boy. That makes you a hero.” 

“I don’t feel like much of a hero.”

Commander Holt sighed. “Let’s just see what we can find out–”

“Hey, Shiro!”

They looked up to see Danny enter the waiting room, now clad in his civvies. “Any word on the kid?” 

Shiro shook his head. “Nothing yet.”

Commander Holt held out his hand. “You must be Danny?”

“Sure am,” he replied, shaking the proffered hand. “I’m guessing you’re Commander Holt?”

“I am. Thank you for all the help you’ve given Shiro in this.”

Danny frowned. “I wish I’d listened this morning when he tried to tell me over the phone. I’m sorry, Shiro.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” said Shiro. “I know how paranoid I sounded.”

“Given what we found in that basement, paranoid isn’t the word I would use,” said Danny grimly.

Shiro rubbed his exhausted eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to check on the kid. Also, we took Kara Jansen’s statement.”

Shiro stood up quickly. “She told you what happened?”

“The whole story. Poor woman trembled through the entire thing. She really is terrified of her husband.”

“What happened between Jansen and Keith?” Shiro demanded. He felt sorry for Kara Jansen and he was grateful for what she’d done, but his main concern was Keith. 

Danny sighed. “Apparently, Jansen started beating on Keith as soon as he got him home from school; he was furious that he’d been suspended and the school was considering expulsion. Keith took it at first – according to Kara, it was always better to do that, let Jansen get the anger out of his system. Except he was really riled up this time, and the beating didn’t stop. So, Keith tried to fight back. When he hit Jansen, the man lost it and tried to choke him.”

“ _What?_ ” cried Shiro.

“Keith didn’t make it easy for him; he nearly scratched the bastard’s eye out, then made a break for it while Jansen was half-blinded.” Danny shook his head, fury clear on his face. “Kara said his hands were shaking so much he couldn’t unlock the front door, and Jansen caught up with him. But the kid’s a scrapper, he went for Jansen with everything he had – headbutted him so hard Kara thought he’d broken the man’s nose.”

Shiro swallowed, recognizing the self-defence tactics he’d taught Keith. “He was trying to buy himself enough time to get out.”

Danny nodded. “He did get the door unlocked this time, but Jansen grabbed him before he could get it open…bastard broke his arm.”

Shiro felt ill thinking of how desperate Keith must have been. And how the hell could Kara have just stood there and watched this happen?!

“How did Keith end up in the freezer?” asked Commander Holt, a thin line of anger between his brows.

Danny’s face was grim. “Apparently, being locked in that freezer was a regular punishment for both Kara and Keith. But when Jansen tried to get Keith down there, he wouldn’t go; just kept fighting back. Finally, he kicked Jansen in the balls and that’s when the bastard completely snapped – took the belt to Keith and laid into him with everything he had. By the time he came down from the rage, Keith’s blood was everywhere and he was barely conscious. Jansen panicked.”

“He put Keith in that freezer knowing he was alive,” said Shiro slowly. “He intended for him to die in there so no one would ever find out what he’d done.”

Danny nodded grimly. “He made Kara scrub the kitchen while he hid Keith’s clothes and any evidence of the struggle, then he called the police to say Keith had run away.”

“How could she go along with that?” Shiro demanded furiously. “She just stood there and watched Jansen beat Keith half to death!”

“Don’t blame her, Shiro,” said Danny. “She’s as much a victim as Keith is. After ten years of marriage to a man who regularly beat her, that woman is terrified of her own shadow. It took a huge amount of courage for her to even point out that trapdoor to you.”

But Shiro was having none of it. “Keith could have _died!_ Why didn’t she tell the police when they called to the house last night?”

“She was afraid they wouldn’t believe her,” said Danny. “But for some reason, she knew you would.”

Shiro froze, Keith’s voice echoing in his head. _Nobody will believe me._

Danny was right. Kara was as much a victim as Keith. Shiro sighed. “What will happen to her?”

“The courts will probably look favourably on her since she led you to Keith,” Danny replied. “Not to mention her position as a battered wife will lend weight to the whole extenuating circumstances thing.”

“And Jansen?” Shiro’s voice was hard.

“He’ll probably get time for such a brutal assault on a minor. After that…” Danny shrugged. “At least we know he won’t get the chance to hurt another kid again. Social services will blacklist him after this.”

Shiro snorted, an unfamiliar seed of bitterness taking root inside him. “Like it matters. How many others are there like him out there?”

“Shiro–”

“Don’t ‘Shiro’ me, Danny! Keith has been placed in _four_ abusive homes over the past six years! Four! What the hell is wrong with social services that they’re giving these people access to vulnerable kids?!”

“They’re not going to make this mistake again,” Danny tried to reassure him. “It’s happened too many times for them to conceivably get away with it again.”

“That makes me feel worse, not better,” said Shiro flatly. 

The other two men stared at Shiro with unhappy expressions. Finally, Commander Holt broke the silence. “Why don’t I go see if there’s any word on Keith?”

The older man left and Danny looked Shiro in the eye. “I haven’t told anyone about the file, but it’s only a matter of time before my captain discovers that I flagged calls from the Jansen house. I’m sorry, Shiro, it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to keep this hidden.”

Shiro pinched the bridge of his nose. “It doesn’t really matter after today anyway. I’m just sorry I got you in so deep. Is there anything I can do to lessen the fallout for you?”

“I appreciate that, Shiro, but I doubt it. If it makes you feel any better, I probably won’t get fired since we _did_ save a kid’s life. Besides, I’m still on the bottom rung of the career ladder, it’s not like they can demote me.”

“But it’ll take a long time for you to climb that ladder now,” Shiro pointed out, feeling even worse.

Danny shook his head. “Honestly, Shiro, I don’t care. I joined the force so I could help people. And today I got to save a kid’s life. That makes it worth it.”

Shiro smiled sadly. “You’re a good man, Danny.”

Danny punched him lightly in the shoulder. “You sap! Why don’t you go look in a mirror?” 

“Can’t say I feel like a very good guy right now. Why didn’t I do something sooner to get Keith out of there?”

“Because you were stuck in a shitty situation with piss-poor options,” retorted Danny bluntly. “Putting him back in foster care might’ve stuck him in an even worse situation, and this time you wouldn’t have been there to bail him out. But now he has a chance of going somewhere decent; social services can’t afford to screw up again because people know what’s been happening.”

“Commander Holt said something similar but it still doesn’t make me feel better. Keith’s just a kid who’s had all this bad stuff happen to him because the adults who were supposed to protect him screwed up.”

“You’re not one of those adults. You risked everything to save him, even though Keith isn’t your responsibility. If it weren’t for you, he’d still be locked in that freezer with everyone thinking he’d run away. You saved his life, Shiro.”

“Then why do I feel like I didn’t? Why do I feel like this hasn’t made any difference?”

Danny stared at him, obviously not knowing what to say.

Shiro ran a hand through his hair. He wasn’t used to these dark thoughts; he was an optimist by nature. But something about this situation had rattled him to his very core. He wondered if it was the fact social services had screwed up so badly with Keith? Shiro had always had such faith in his country, always believed it looked after its citizens…it was part of the reason he had joined the military instead of a private space exploration program, because he wanted to give something back. Discovering just how badly the state had taken care of a vulnerable kid damaged an important part of his belief structure. Shiro felt like some inherent part of him had been permanently changed by this experience and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

Unable to sort through his confused thoughts, Shiro resumed pacing. Danny sat down in a chair and took out his phone.

It was another five minutes before Commander Holt returned. A blond woman wearing a grey suit was with him.

“Any word?” asked Shiro at once.

The commander nodded, gesturing to the woman. “This is Allie Berkley, Keith’s social worker. She’ll tell you everything.”

 _Another new one,_ Shiro thought bitterly, not recognizing her name. “How’s Keith?” he demanded, unable to keep the hostility out of his voice.

Allie studied Shiro for a moment before responding. “He’s in the ICU: broken arm, concussion, lots of bruising and some internal bleeding, and sixty-three stitches across his arms and back. He was lucky.”

Shiro stared at her. “You call that _lucky?!_ ”

“Yes, I do, because he’s alive. Most children with those injuries wouldn’t have survived being locked in a freezer for almost twenty-four hours.”

“That doesn’t make him lucky!” Shiro snapped. “He’s a twelve-year-old kid – _none_ of this should have happened to him!”

“You’re right,” she agreed, “it shouldn’t. And I’m not going to let this go until I find out how it did.”

Shiro narrowed his eyes. Was she sincere or just paying lip service?

“I’m guessing you’re Officer Shirogane,” the woman continued, holding out her hand. “I’d like to thank you. From everything the police have told me, you’re the reason Keith is alive.”

Crossing his arms instead of returning the handshake, Shiro stared her down. “What happens to Keith now? Are you going to place him in another abusive home?”

Allie lowered her hand. “Not all our foster families are like Greg Jansen.”

“Really? What about Alice Taylor? Tom and Patty Griffin? Trent Burke? Social services don’t have a stellar track record when it comes to Keith – fifty percent of his foster homes have been abusive.”

She raised an eyebrow. “How do you know about Keith’s previous homes?”

“Does it matter?”

She sighed. “No, I don’t suppose it does.”

That surprised Shiro. He’d been expecting her to demand answers, except…she looked too tired to even think of the questions. He softened his tone and asked again, “What’s going to happen to Keith?”

“For now, he’s going to stay in the hospital. Those back injuries make movement a problem, he’ll need care for the next two weeks or so.”

“That’s a short-term solution. What’s the long-term one?”

“I’m working on it.”

“I hope you work harder than your predecessors,” Shiro couldn’t help sniping, furious that she was still dragging her heels when it came to Keith.

Something flashed across her face. “You don’t get to judge until you’ve worked our job, Officer Shirogane. Being a social worker involves long hours, many that we don’t get paid for because we’re working on our own time to ensure _every_ kid gets taken care of. Social workers aren’t supposed to have more than twenty active cases at a time, but every social worker I know has at least thirty-three because there are so many at-risk kids in this country. Do you know that there are nineteen children to every available foster placement? That sometimes we have to sleep in our office with a kid we’re responsible for because there’s no bed available to take them, not even in a group home?”

Shiro was taken aback. “No, I didn’t.”

“Our vetting process is thorough,” she continued, “but bad people aren’t always easy to spot. Plus, violence in the home is easily hidden because no one knows what a person is truly like until they live with them. Without a criminal record or anything that might suggest a problem in the home, we don’t have the luxury of turning away potential foster families just because they’re not perfect. Unfortunately, that means vulnerable children sometimes end up with bad families, and believe me, no one feels worse about it than we do.”

Shiro stared at her, unsure how to respond.

The woman sighed and rubbed her eyes. “I understand your anger, Officer Shirogane, but if you’re going to be angry at someone, be angry at the people who have children and then throw them away without caring what becomes of them. Be angry at the people who take advantage of an overloaded system by taking in children with the deliberate intention of abusing them. Just don’t be angry at the people who are trying to help as best they can with few resources.”

“I’m sorry,” said Shiro. “I didn’t know.”

“Few people do,” she responded tiredly. “That’s why we get painted as the bad guys even when we do our best. It’s also why social work has such a high burn-out rate – most people don’t last longer than four or five years. One of Keith’s previous social workers quit after his foster mom tried to poison him. The guilt of it happening on her watch nearly destroyed her.”

“I’m sorry,” said Shiro again. “I didn’t mean to sound– I just want to help Keith.”

“You already have,” she told him. “Keith would have been another tragic statistic if you hadn’t gotten involved. I meant what I said, Officer Shirogane, I am grateful for that.”

“I don’t suppose I could see him?” Shiro asked.

She shook her head. “Not right now. He’s on some pretty potent painkillers and I doubt he’d even know you were there. But you are welcome to visit in a few days when he’s more lucid.”

It was logic Shiro couldn’t argue with. No matter how much he wanted to.

oOo

A baby’s wail yanked Shiro back to the reality of the cryo-chamber.

Jerking his head around, he spotted the baby Govnex sobbing and reaching towards Pidge, who was scolding an apologetic-looking Hunk while putting her glasses back on. The baby cried louder, making grabby hands at the scowling Pidge as Hunk shook the rattler he’d made to placate it. 

Shiro shook his head. The baby had developed a habit of grabbing for things that caught its attention, and Pidge’s glasses were its current obsession. 

Thoughts settling back in the present, he returned his gaze to Keith’s cryo-pod. According to Coran, the healing cycle would be complete in a few doboshes. It was the first piece of good news they’d had since entering the Tarnek solar system.

Shiro sighed. Despite their best efforts, they hadn’t found any sign of the Rykurians, nor had the Juinope seen them since reporting their presence to the Kovacians, and while Shiro was relieved the Rykurians didn’t seem to have attacked any planets in this solar system, he was frustrated that they hadn’t found them yet.

“You think he’s gonna be okay?” asked someone beside Shiro. He looked over to find Lance had joined them, his eyes fixed on the cryo-pod.

Shiro glanced at Keith, whose fingers were beginning to twitch as he emerged from cryo-sleep. “I hope so. Has Allura had any luck with scanning for the Rykurians?”

“Still no sign. I think she’s afraid that they’ve already left this solar system.”

“They wouldn’t leave. Not without fresh meat.” 

Lance winced at his choice of words. “Then where are they?” 

“This is a big solar system, and we’ve only searched around two-thirds of it. Don’t worry, we’ll find them.”

Lance didn’t look convinced, and opened his mouth just as a beep signalled the end of the cryo-pod’s healing cycle. Both of them turned towards the pod as the glass dematerialized and Keith fell forwards, eyes still closed.

Shiro caught him, hands closing around Keith’s upper arms. The boy reacted instantly, eyes snapping open as he jerked out of Shiro’s grasp with a yell.

“Whoa, Keith, easy,” said Shiro quietly, crouching down so he wasn’t towering over the boy. “You’re okay. You’re safe.”

“What?” Keith’s eyes darted around in confusion, before landing back on Shiro and widening in clear shock. “Shiro?”

Shiro smiled. “Yeah, buddy. It’s me. How are you feeling?”

Keith stared at him for a moment, then looked down at his own arms before looking back at Shiro again. “I…how…?”

“The pods healed us,” Shiro explained. “I know you didn’t want to go into one, but the team had no choice. You were in bad shape.”

Keith turned around to look back at the pod, then glanced at the team, who stood a careful distance away.

Lance smiled at him. “Good to have you back, man.”

“Yeah, we’re really glad you’re okay,” Hunk added, struggling to hold the baby Govnex, who was now making grabby hands in Keith’s direction.

Keith frowned and he took a step back. “What is _that?_ ”

“Baby Govnex,” Shiro explained. “The team found him on the Rykurian ship. We think he’s how they’ve been controlling the Govnex.”

Keith took another step back as the baby flailed in his direction again. “Can he…do magic too?”

“Not yet,” answered Shiro. “We’re trying to find the Govnex to return him so they’ll stop helping the Rykurians.”

“Whoa!” Hunk yelped suddenly, catching the baby as it almost tumbled out of his arms. “Hey, little dude, what is–”

“Daaaaaaaa!” wailed the baby, outstretched hands scrabbling towards Keith. “ _Daaaaaaaaaaa!_ ”

“Okay, what is going on with it?” Pidge demanded, as Shiro stood up, placing himself between Keith and the baby. “It’s usually not that obsessive about whatever it’s grabbing for.”

“I don’t know,” said Hunk, shaking the rattler to no avail. “He’s never done this before! It’s okay, little guy, it’s okay…”

“Wow, he really wants Keith,” Lance commented, watching in bewilderment as the baby pushed aside the rattler Hunk was waving and jerked in the boy’s direction again.

“Yeah, pretty sure Keith doesn’t want him though,” Pidge replied, and everyone glanced at the boy, who had backed up several more steps and was glaring at the baby through narrowed eyes.

“Okay, it’s probably best to separate the little guy from Keith until we figure this out,” said Shiro, frowning at the baby’s frantic efforts to reach Keith. “Hunk, bring the baby to Allura and let her know what just happened.”

“Sure thing, Shiro.”

Shiro turned to the boy and beckoned. “C’mon, Keith, let’s get you a change of clothes and some food.”

Eyes still narrowed at the baby, Keith followed Shiro, the baby’s wails echoing after them as they walked down the corridor.

“Are you okay?” Shiro asked.

“Fine.”

“Are you sure? That was some pretty bad stuff that went down back on the Rykurian ship, so if you need someone to talk to…”

“I’m fine.” 

The answer was a little clipped, and Shiro decided not to push it. “If you’re sure.”

Keith didn’t answer and they walked in silence the rest of the way.

“I’ll wait out here while you freshen up,” Shiro told him, as the door to Keith’s room slid open. “Coran laundered your jeans and t-shirt, so there’s a change of clothes on your bed.”

Keith nodded and disappeared into the room, the door _swishing_ shut behind him.

Shiro’s mind raced while he waited for Keith, trying to work out what had happened back in the cryo-chamber. It was true the baby Govnex liked to swipe at things that caught his eye, but those were usually shiny things like Pidge’s glasses, not people, and Hunk could usually distract him from whatever he was grabbing for. He’d certainly never fixated on anything like he’d done with Keith, and Shiro was bothered by the sudden interest.

He was still mulling it over almost fifteen minutes later when the door to Keith’s room slid open and the boy walked out, clad in jeans and t-shirt once more. His hair was damp from the shower and he looked a little shell-shocked.

“Keith, what’s wrong?” asked Shiro, putting a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“There’s no scars. They’re all gone.”

Shiro blinked. “What?”

Keith lifted his arms to waist height and stared down at them. “They’re gone. Everything. The marks from Greg…what the aliens did, they’re just… _gone_.”

Shiro understood. “The pods don’t leave any scars when healing an injury.”

Keith looked up at him, eyes wide. “How long was I in there?”

“Five days.”

“That’s _all?!_ ”

“That’s a long time for a cryo-pod, Keith.”

“But…it’s so quick.”

Shiro nodded. “Altean technology is far more advanced than ours.”

“Then why–” He stopped, clearly hesitant. 

“What? It’s okay, Keith, you can say it.”

“It didn’t heal…” Keith pointed tentatively towards Shiro’s face.

Shiro touched the scar across his nose. “The pods only heal active wounds and this happened while I was a Galra prisoner, long before I ever spent time in a cryo-pod.”

Keith’s forehead crinkled and he glanced down at his arms. 

Shiro understood his confusion. “When you were changed back into your twelve-year-old self, it was like what Jansen did only happened a few weeks ago, so the pod treated those injuries like fresh wounds and healed them.”

“Oh.”

Shiro knelt in front of him. “Keith, I had to tell the team about Jansen while you were in the pod. I’m sorry, but they saw your older injuries and wanted answers.”

“They didn’t know?”

Shiro shook his head. “Teenage you isn’t big on talking about your past…but that doesn’t mean you don’t trust this team. They’re your friends and they care very much about what happens to you.”

Keith looked away and didn’t respond.

Shiro sighed and patted his shoulder before standing up. “Come on, let’s get you some food. You must be hungry after five days in a pod.”

They headed for the kitchen, only to find the entire team gathered there. Shiro raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you guys supposed to be keeping the baby away from–”

“Ahhhhhhhhh!” the baby wailed over Shiro the instant he spotted Keith. “Ga! _Gaaaaaaaaaaaaa!_ ” His tubby little hands grabbed towards Keith, who immediately froze in a defensive position.

Shiro recognized Keith’s flight response only too well and immediately put a calming hand on his shoulder. He frowned at the team. “What’s going on? Why are you–”

“Whoa!” Hunk yelped loudly, almost dropping the baby as he jerked forward in the effort to reach Keith. “Calm down, little guy, shhhhhhh.”

“Ga! Daaaaaaaaa!” the baby shrieked insistently, hands waving for all he was worth in Keith’s direction. The boy scowled and took a step back.

“Okay, what’s going on?” Shiro demanded.

“I think I know why the baby is so drawn to Keith,” Allura explained. “I believe he can sense residual magic from the Govnex’s spell on Keith.”

Shiro blinked. “How? The baby doesn’t have magic.”

“No, but it is highly possible he can still recognize it,” Allura responded, taking the squirming baby from Hunk. “Keith, would you mind coming here, please?”

Keith didn’t move, and Shiro felt him coil beneath his hand.

Allura gave Keith a soft smile. “The baby cannot hurt you, Keith. I just want to see if I am correct about his fascination with you.”

Keith still didn’t move.

“What’s the point of this, Allura?” asked Shiro.

“If the baby can sense the magic of its own kind on Keith, then it’s possible we can use him to find the other Govnex.”

“Eeeeeeeeeeeh!” sobbed the tiny Govnex, hands clenching and unclenching towards Keith.

Shiro sighed. He _was_ just a baby… “Keith, Allura has a point. I’m sorry to ask, but do you think you can do this?”

Keith looked up at him, then glanced at Allura before nodding. 

“Atta boy,” said Shiro, smiling and patting his shoulder.

“What do I have to do?” Keith asked, eyes narrowed at the baby.

“Just come over here and stand beside me,” replied Allura. “If what I suspect is correct then the baby will settle once he touches you.”

Hunching his shoulders, Keith walked tentatively towards them. As soon as he reached them, the baby placed its hands on his head and cooed, then nuzzled into Keith’s hair.

Keith froze, wide-eyed like a deer in the headlights, while Hunk “awed” loudly.

Allura smiled. “As I thought, the baby can sense the magic of its people on Keith, that is why he is so drawn to him.”

“Lalalalala,” the baby babbled happily, now patting Keith’s cheeks. 

“That’s adorable,” said Hunk, hands clasped beneath his chin and making ga-ga eyes at them. 

Keith scowled.

“Ah?” said the baby, tilting its head into Keith’s field of vision before holding its hands out to him.

Lance snickered. “Think he wants you to hold him.”

Keith jerked back. “No way!”

“Gaaaaa?” said the baby, still holding its arms towards Keith, the beginnings of a pout on its lips.

“Awww, Keith, he just wants a cuddle,” said Hunk beseechingly.

“But what if I hurt him?” Keith whispered, eyeing the baby nervously. 

Shiro ruffled Keith’s hair. “You won’t.”

Keith exhaled. “Alright.”

“Keep one arm under here like this and the other across his back to support him,” Allura instructed, demonstrating before passing Keith the baby.

With obvious reluctance, Keith took the baby. The tiny Govnex squealed with joy, its chubby little arms sliding around Keith’s neck. Keith for his part looked utterly terrified, standing ramrod straight with his arms holding the baby stiffly.

“Dude, he’s not a bomb,” Lance teased.

Keith shot him a look of annoyance so utterly reminiscent of his older self that Shiro couldn’t help but chuckle. “Lance is right, Keith. Just relax. The little guy really likes you.”

The glare of annoyance was directed at Shiro before Keith huffed irritably and made a visible effort to relax his tense limbs. He looked only marginally less awkward, throwing Shiro a _well?_ look.

“Better,” said Shiro, trying not to smile.

The baby, meanwhile, cooed at Keith before giving him what looked like a slobbery kiss on the cheek. Keith’s nose wrinkled in disgust, and Pidge mirrored the expression. 

“Looks like the little guy really likes you,” Hunk said, grinning, while Lance choked with laughter. 

Keith gave him an unimpressed glare.

“Yes, well, now that that’s sorted,” Shiro interjected. “Keith needs to eat something. He was in a cryo-pod for five days, remember?”

“Oh, yeah!” exclaimed Hunk. “Keith, I made you something nicer than goo to celebrate–”

A loud alarm drowned out the rest of Hunk’s words.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Shiro demanded, as Allura pulled up a holo-screen.

“It’s an alert from the deep-space scanners,” she replied, meeting Shiro’s eyes. “They have located the Govnex.”

“Looks like we won’t be using the baby to track them after all,” said Shiro grimly. “Everyone suit up. We’re going to end this once and for all.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a very short 5 page epilogue to add to this story (pretty much just Shiro and Keith bonding). The section was supposed to go at the end of this chapter but it didn't flow very well with the chapter so I decided to make it a little epilogue. I'll post it as soon as I get it back from my beta (hopefully tomorrow or the day after). 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who has commented or left kudos throughout the course of the story. I can't tell you all how much I appreciate it.

In less than nine minutes, Shiro was on the bridge in full armour. 

Allura, Coran and Pidge were already there. Much to his surprise, Keith was in the red paladin’s chair, holding the baby Govnex, a scowl on his face.

“The baby refused to be parted from Keith,” Allura explained, at Shiro’s questioning look. “I thought it best not to distress him since we are approaching the Govnex.”

“How far out are we?” asked Shiro, as Lance and Hunk sprinted into the room. 

“Less than two doboshes. And the Rykurians are with them.”

“Them?”

Allura looked grim. “There are two Govnex this time.”

“Get the particle barrier up,” Shiro ordered. “We don’t want them to attack us before we can broadcast about their baby.”

As the familiar blue shield wrapped around the castle, Shiro took a moment to study his team. They looked apprehensive – Hunk flat-out terrified – and Shiro couldn’t blame them. If they were wrong about this, it could be the fight of their lives.

He glanced over at Keith. The boy’s face was set in that blank, neutral expression Shiro had long since come to recognize as his defensive mask. The baby was patting Keith’s face and babbling at him, but Keith seemed oblivious. Shiro wondered how he was feeling – if this turned out as they were hoping, Keith would be subjected to the Govnex’s magic and that had to be an unsettling thought for a kid.

Shiro really wished there had been more time to talk with him about this.

“Twenty ticks,” Allura announced, and Shiro returned his attention to the skies ahead.

They spotted the Rykurians before the Rykurians saw them: five battleships were firing on a ringed, orange planet. There was some kind of purple shield around the planet and both Govnex were blasting it with blue lightning. Shiro could see the purple shield was flickering, clearly weakening beneath the onslaught. 

“Coran, activate the broadcast system,” he said. 

The Altean quickly complied and Shiro spoke, “Attention, Govnex. We are not here to fight. We are here to return the baby that was stolen from you.”

The attack on the orange planet ceased and Shiro held his breath.

Then, the Govnex screamed; the piercing noise penetrating the castle and bouncing off its walls. It was deafening and Shiro had to fight the urge to clap his hands over his ears. After a few seconds, the screaming stopped, only for a loud screech to cut through the silence.

Every head turned to where the baby on Keith’s knees was shrieking for all it was worth – white, tufted hair bristling like a wind was blowing through it.

Shiro froze. Shit! Were its powers kicking in?

“Your baby is unharmed,” he told the Govnex hurriedly. “We just want to return him to you.”

The Rykurian ships were now heading for the castle, blasters firing at the particle barrier. The castle shook violently under the barrage.

“Coran, ready the canon!” Shiro ordered. 

And then the Rykurian ships exploded.

Shiro felt rather than saw everyone on the bridge freeze. Even the baby stopped shrieking. The five ships blazed before them, flaming chunks of metal breaking off as parts of the fire mushroomed out in violent bursts.

“I really hope there were no prisoners on those ships,” said Pidge in a hushed voice.

Then, two shapes emerged from the flames, floating slowly towards the castle. As they came closer, what sounded like a multitude of voices echoed inside the bridge, “Let us in.” 

Hunk moaned, but Shiro ignored him. “If we do, do you promise not to attack us?”

“Return what is ours and we will let you go in peace,” the voices echoed again.

“Lower the particle barrier,” Shiro ordered, getting to his feet and moving over to a scared-looking Keith. “I’ll take the baby,” said Shiro. He didn’t care if this upset the little guy. No way would Keith be the one holding the baby when those things came onboard.

The baby made a small noise of protest as Shiro took him from Keith. “It’s okay, little guy,” Shiro soothed. “You’re gonna be back with your family very soon.”

The baby stretched its hands towards Keith, but didn’t cry. Patting its back, Shiro turned towards the windows again. The particle barrier was down and the Govnex were floating just outside the bridge, staring in at them. It was an eerie sight.

Shiro swallowed. “I’ll meet you down in the entrance hall.”

“That is not necessary,” the voices rustled around the bridge, sounding both ancient and terrifying. 

Then the Govnex phased through the windows of the bridge.

Alarmed shouts erupted from the team and Hunk whimpered loudly. Even Shiro couldn’t refrain from jerking. 

He watched as the two Govnex floated down to the floor before walking tentatively towards them. The baby had stopped reaching for Keith and was instead stretching his arms towards the two Govnex, making happy, cooing noises.

The smaller Govnex brushed Shiro’s arm as it took the baby from him, and Shiro felt a distinct chill shiver through him. He knew instinctively that this thing was more ancient than anything that existed in the universe. 

The baby nestled into its arms, while the taller Govnex spoke to Shiro. “Thank you for our little one.” 

Even with the Govnex on the bridge, it still sounded like a hundred voices were whispering through the room. 

“It was the right thing to do,” Shiro replied. “He belongs with his family.”

“Just as the Armillions and all the other people who were taken by the Rykurians should be,” Allura added. “Can you tell us if they are still alive?”

“Some are, some are not,” the Govnex responded, black eyes staring, unblinking, at Allura. “But we will make amends. Our people will return those who can still be returned.”

“You will return them to their homes and their rightful states?” asked Allura.

“Yes. We did not wish to commit this evil, to condemn so many innocents. The Rykurians left us no choice when they took our child.”

“Yeah, about that,” said Shiro. “How did they even manage to get their hands on him?”

“To know that is to know our history,” answered the Govnex cradling the baby. “Our history is not for all to know.”

“Well, the Rykurians clearly know it,” Shiro pointed out. “They used it against you and it caused a lot of hurt to a lot of people, us included. I think we deserve to know in case this ever happens again.”

The adult Govnex focused their unblinking eyes on Shiro. It probably wasn’t the smartest move to demand answers from such powerful creatures, but they couldn’t let this happen again. Too many innocent lives had been lost.

“We will tell you,” said the taller Govnex. “As Paladins of Voltron, you are fated to protect the universe. But you must tell no other.”

“Your history is safe with us,” Shiro promised. 

The Govnex bobbed its head. “Our history began at the start of all time. We came into being fully formed with the universe. We know not how, only why. We were its guardians, destined to nurture new life as it was created and, where needed, prune that which was dying. We existed for eons, watching planets, solar systems, even galaxies blink out when their time came, but we did not die.”

The Govnex reached over and fondled the baby’s head. “It was our undoing. Even knowing its power to destroy, as we had seen countless times before, we became prideful. We thought if we could nurture life, we could create it.”

Removing its hand from the baby’s head, the Govnex stared straight at Shiro. “We created death.”

“Death?” repeated Shiro.

“We manipulated quintessence, folded the fabric of time, experimented with our magics to create a new race. What we did obliterated our home planet and poisoned that section of the universe so that life cannot exist there.”

Understanding struck Shiro. “The dead zone.” 

“Yes.”

“But the Rykurians kept your baby there,” said Allura. “They were able to exist there.”

“They exist there because we can exist there,” responded the other Govnex, its voice identical to the taller one’s. “The dead zone will not let our magic spark, but it does not drain our essence.”

“It is the doom of those involved in the creation of death to exist in death,” the taller Govnex added. “When our planet was destroyed, those on it did not die. They became death, they became Rykurians.”

There was stunned silence, broken only by the baby’s cooing.

“The Rykurians are…Govnex?” Shiro said finally.

“Not anymore!” a wave of voices crashed around the room. “They are abominations; death that lives by devouring life.”

Allura’s eyes were wide. “The Rykurians are dangerous creatures, but they do not have magic. How are they Govnex?”

“The magic turned inwards, poisoning them,” the tall Govnex replied. “They cannot feel it, nor use it.”

“But they can feel us,” continued the smaller one. “When I entered the dead zone to birth my little one, they came. They took my child in the one place we could not fight, and forced us into slavery.”

“Why would you give birth in the dead zone?” Shiro asked.

The Govnex smoothed the baby’s head in what was clearly affection. “Amira is the first Govnex to enter this universe through birth. We did not know the impact birthing would have on my powers and decided it was safest to birth in the one area that would keep them contained. We were wrong.”

“Wait,” Pidge spoke up, “are you saying Amira is the first baby Govnex?”

“Yes. All others were created at the dawn of time.”

“Wow, you guys are like, really old, huh?” Hunk commented, then shrank back when the Govnex glanced in his direction.

“We are as old as the universe itself,” answered the taller Govnex. “But our race is dying. As the Rykurians multiply, we diminish.”

“So, why not give birth sooner?” Pidge wondered.

Something like sorrow crossed the taller one’s face. “We tried, for many centuries. It seemed cruel that the Rykurians could birth so freely while we could not. We thought our race would pass into extinction as we have witnessed many before us, but Amira brings us hope.”

“For the sake of the universe, we must try,” added the smaller Govnex. 

Shiro frowned. “What do you mean for the sake of the universe?” 

“Our role in nurturing the universe has lessened as our existence has lessened,” answered the taller Govnex. “Other creatures have emerged to aid in building new solar systems, in fostering life. But as we have diminished, so too has the universe: more life is fading than ever before, the walls between realities and between time have fractured in places.”

“We were not responsible for its or our creation,” continued the smaller Govnex, “but we believe the universe diminishes with us, and should we die out, so too will the universe.”

“ _That’s_ why you placed Amira’s life above the people the Rykurians were attacking,” Shiro realized. 

Both Govnex inclined their heads and spoke as one, the echoing voices amplified as they did so. “For eons, we have allowed the Rykurians to remain in this universe. They were once our people; how could we destroy them for what we made them into? But we now understand they cannot be allowed to survive. We will destroy them.”

“They took a great risk in forcing you to help them,” said Allura. “They must have known invoking your anger could lead to their destruction.”

“It was necessity, not risk that drove them to do so,” answered the tall Govnex. “Their numbers have increased and they can no longer sustain themselves with small colonies alone. However, attacking more planets could unite the universe against them, so they conceived a plan to take entire planets, leaving none behind to tell what they had done.”

Shiro gritted his teeth. “And they forced you to help.” 

The smaller Govnex bobbed its head. “After Voltron intervened, the Rykurians were no longer able to hide. They chose a planet that would ensure them a food source for many years.” 

A long, green finger pointed at the orange planet in the distance, and Allura frowned. “Thyretros?”

“Its people have the ability to self-heal, even regrow limbs,” the Govnex explained. “If the Rykurians fed only on limbs and allowed their victims to regrow between feedings, they would not need to attack another planet for many deca-phoebs.”

Hunk made a gagging noise, and Shiro felt his own stomach churn. Every time he thought the Rykurians couldn’t get any worse, they proved him wrong. 

“But thanks to Voltron, that plan was thwarted,” the tall Govnex finished. “And all remaining Govnex will ensure the Rykurians do not get a chance to inflict this horror again. We are grateful to you, Paladins.”

The Govnex turned to leave but Shiro stopped them. “Wait!”

Black, unblinking eyes focused on him once more.

“What about Keith and all the people that you turned into children…can you change them back?”

“We give our word that we will make amends,” the tall Govnex replied. “All who can be returned to their rightful state will be returned, including those who are still prisoners of the Rykurians.”

Relief trickled through Shiro and he turned around. “Okay then. Keith, can you–”

There was no sign of the boy.

“Where’s Keith?” asked Shiro, staring at the team, who had gathered behind him to hear the Govnex’s story.

They all looked around the room in surprise. “He’s not here,” said Lance. “Where’d he go?”

“More like _when_ did he go?” Hunk fretted. “Oh, man…”

“He has to be on the ship,” Pidge reminded them. “We’re out in space, there’s nowhere for him to go.”

“Allura, can you find where he is?” Shiro demanded.

The princess brought up a holoscreen, checking the castle’s cameras. Her eyes widened. “He’s heading for the Red Lion’s hangar!”

“But he can’t fly the lion, right?” said Hunk. “Not while he’s little?”

“We don’t know that for sure,” said Shiro, thinking back to Child Keith’s first meeting with the Red Lion. Something had happened then, even if Keith hadn’t said anything. “The lion could respond if it thinks Keith is threatened.”

“We gotta get down there!” Lance cried, moving for the door.

Shiro caught his arm. “No.”

“What! But, Shiro–”

“Keith is scared and it won’t help if we all chase after him. I’ll talk to him; you guys stay here. Allura, try and keep the hangar doors closed if the Red Lion tries to leave.” And with that, Shiro took off, praying the lion knew better than to take off with a little kid in its cockpit. 

oOo

_Planet Earth, 2090_ …

Shiro ran from the parking lot into the hospital.

The morning after Keith’s rescue, his social worker had left an unexpected voice message asking Shiro to come to the hospital. The concern was overwhelming – it was supposed to be a few days before he could see Keith! 

“Officer Shirogane!” a voice called, and he glanced over his left shoulder. Spotting Allie Berkley waving at him, Shiro immediately hurried towards her.

“Is Keith alright?” he demanded.

“He’s fine, or as fine as he can be after everything. He’s awake.”

Shiro’s eyes widened. “Already?” 

“The doctors are as surprised as you are. He’ll be moved out of ICU this afternoon – kid’s made of strong stuff.” She gave Shiro an assessing look. “He asked for you.”

“For me? Why?”

“Good question. Keith barely acknowledged me when I introduced myself, and he’s hardly said two words to anyone since coming around. But he asked where you were after I told him how he was rescued. I thought he could use a friendly face.” 

Shiro swallowed the lump in his throat. He couldn’t imagine what it felt like for anyone, much less a kid, to wake up in hospital after such a brutal beating knowing there was no one there to really care if you were okay. “I’m glad you called,” he managed.

Allie gave a small smile. “Come on, I’ll take you to Keith.”

They walked in silence towards the ICU and Shiro glanced at the woman. She was still in the same grey suit as yesterday, although it looked rumpled now, and her eyes were exhausted. Shiro frowned. “Have you been here all night?”

“Not all night, I went back to the office for a few hours to do some paperwork. I had planned on going home to catch a few hours’ sleep, but then the hospital called to say Keith was awake so I came here first.”

Shiro felt even worse about his previous assumptions. “How can you stand this job?”

She shrugged. “Like I said yesterday, nobody does permanently.”

“How long have you been doing it?”

“Eight years this autumn.” At Shiro’s surprised look, she added, “I grew up in the system, so I know what it’s like. I want to try and change things, if I can.”

“I wish I could help. But I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“You don’t think saving Keith’s life is a start?”

“I suppose it is.”

“But…?” 

“It doesn’t feel like enough,” Shiro admitted quietly. “Not when I know there are other kids like him out there.”

“I’ll let you in on a secret, Officer Shirogane, the trick to lasting in this job is taking the victories where you can and accepting that you can’t save every kid.”

“That sounds…”

“Harsh? Cold?” She nodded. “I know. But it’s reality. You think police officers, firefighters and soldiers could remain in their roles if they didn’t accept that they can’t save everyone? It’s a necessary survival mechanism.”

“Fair point,” conceded Shiro. “But they usually have training to deal with those things and I’m betting social workers don’t?”

“And you’d win. But as a foster kid I accepted that real life doesn’t always have happy endings. Makes it easier to compartmentalize the bad.”

That was bleak. Shiro wondered if it was how Keith had survived all the crap that had happened to him.

Allie gave him a knowing look. “I know how it sounds to someone who didn’t grow up like I did, but it’s important to understand that attitude when you’re dealing with a kid like Keith.”

“What do you mean?” 

“From the looks of things, you’re invested in Keith. Are you planning on staying around? Being his friend?”

Shiro blinked. “Social Services will let me do that?”

“Not usually. But as Keith’s social worker, I can pull some strings.”

“Why would you do that? I thought…” Shiro stopped, unable to voice his relief. He’d spent most of last night worrying about how he could stay in touch with Keith. He hadn’t realized how fond of the kid he’d become until faced with the possibility of never seeing him again. 

She sighed. “I know what you thought. But I also know this isn’t a typical situation; I think you can help Keith.”

“How?” asked Shiro. “I mean, I’ve been trying, but I don’t even know if it’s made a difference.”

She raised an incredulous eyebrow. “You saved his _life!_ Believe me, that made a difference.”

“Not that. I mean, what do I do next?”

“Just be there,” she said simply. “Be his friend. Keith’s never had that. He’s never had someone stay in his life and look out for him. If you can show him that people don’t just leave all the time, it might help him start trusting people again.”

Shiro was confused. “But why me?”

“Because I think after everything that’s happened, you have a better chance than anyone of getting him to trust you. And I’m pretty sure Keith hasn’t trusted anyone in years.”

They arrived at the ICU and Allie stopped outside the entrance. “Keith’s in room seven. I cleared it with the nurse on duty to let you visit.”

“You’re not coming?”

“I need to call my boss. We haven’t had an available foster placement in almost a week, and there are three very young children ahead of Keith on the list that we absolutely can’t bump off for him, but we’re doing our best to find something. I don’t want him going back into a group home after all this.”

“Keith could stay with me when he’s discharged until a home becomes available?” Shiro suggested, before he could stop himself.

She raised an eyebrow. “I appreciate the offer, but there’s no way I could get permission for that. It’s one thing to be a mentor, but another thing entirely to be a guardian. You’re a young, single male and it would raise too many eyebrows.”

“You don’t know that I’m single,” Shiro objected, mildly offended.

She grinned. “You just spent several months in space, Officer Shirogane, trust me, you’re single…I looked into you,” she added at his frown. “I’m responsible for Keith and I need to be sure I can trust you.”

“I promise, I’m only looking out for him.”

“I know, that’s why I called you.” She held out her hand. “I’ve a feeling we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other over the next few weeks, Officer Shirogane, so it’s good to know we’re on the same page.”

“Call me Shiro,” he said, taking her proffered hand and shaking it.

“Shiro,” she repeated. “Tell Keith I’ll be back to check on him later.”

She left, and Shiro hurried into the ICU, where a nurse directed him to room seven. Arriving at the room, anxiety bubbled in his gut – how was Keith going to take seeing him after all this? 

Shiro knocked, then peeked around the door. 

Keith was lying on his right side, staring vacantly towards the door. His left eye was still swollen shut, but his right eye widened when he saw Shiro. “Officer Shirogane?” 

“It’s Shiro, remember?” he corrected gently, moving over and sitting down in the chair beside the bed. His stomach flipped unpleasantly at the swollen, bruised face staring back at him. There was a cast on Keith’s right arm and Shiro could see bruising around his neck that he hadn’t noticed the day before. He felt a strong rush of hatred towards Jansen.

“What are you doing here?” Keith asked, clearly confused.

“I wanted to see how you’re doing. They wouldn’t let me see you last night.”

“Oh.”

“Probably a really stupid question but…how are you feeling?”

Keith shrugged, then winced. 

“Hey, no moving,” Shiro chided gently. “Your back is pretty messed up.”

Keith just stared at him.

He looked small in the bed. Battered, small and fragile. A lump swelled in Shiro’s throat at the thought of him trying to fight off Greg Jansen’s enormous bulk, of him being locked into that dark freezer when he was injured and bleeding, probably thinking he would die in there because no one cared enough to look for him. 

Shiro hated that the world could let this happen to a kid. “Keith, I’m sorry.”

Keith frowned. “For what?”

“This.” Shiro waved a hand at him. “It shouldn’t have happened. I should have gotten you out of there before Jansen hurt you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I suspected Jansen might be hurting you,” Shiro admitted. “I was trying to get you out of that house without putting you back in the system, but I should have gotten you out and _then_ worked on getting you out of the system. I screwed up and I’m sorry. But I promise, I won’t let it happen again.”

Keith stared at Shiro, but didn’t respond. 

“Are you mad at me?” asked Shiro. “I understand if you are.”

“How did you know Greg was…?”

“I saw bruises on your wrist that first day at the Garrison, and then that black eye…” Shiro clenched a fist and shook his head. “I never liked his attitude towards you from that first day with the bike. I should have done something sooner.”

“But…you never said anything.”

Shiro sighed. “I didn’t want to push you about Jansen. I was trying to be your friend and I was afraid you’d clam up if I pushed.”

Keith looked utterly bewildered. “Why?”

“Because it didn’t seem like you wanted to talk about it.”

“No.” Keith shook his head a little, then winced. “I mean, why were you trying to be my friend?”

“Why wouldn’t I be your friend?” Shiro countered. 

Keith didn’t seem to have an answer for that.

“Keith, there’s no complicated reason for it, I just want to be your friend. If you’ll let me.”

It was hard to read the expression on Keith’s face. “Is that why you saved me?”

Shiro nodded. “Friends look out for each other. And as your friend, I promise, I’ll look out for you and do my very best to make sure you end up with a good family this time.” 

“And if I don’t want to be your friend?”

Shiro shrugged. “I’ll look out for you anyway.”

Keith blinked, clearly startled.

Shiro leaned forward a little in his chair. “It’s okay if you don’t want to be my friend. I know a lot of people in your life have hurt you, so that makes trusting people hard. But I’m still going to do whatever I can to help.”

“Even if I don’t want to go to the Garrison?”

“The Garrison has nothing to do with this, Keith. Your future is your own to decide. But whatever you decide to do with your life, I’ll do my best to help.”

“Why?”

The question was a choked whisper that made something sad twist inside Shiro. No kid should be confused about why someone wanted to help them. “Because I want to. Because you deserve better than what’s happened to you.”

Keith’s gaze dropped to his bedsheets.

“Do you want to be my friend?” Shiro prodded gently.

Several seconds of silence passed before Keith gave a quiet, uncertain, “I guess…”

“You don’t sound very sure,” Shiro continued. “It’s okay to say no if that’s what you’d prefer, I promise I won’t get mad or upset. I’ll respect your decision.”

Keith’s teeth moved to chew on his lip, stopping quickly as they grazed the cuts there. “I…do want to be friends?” he offered at last. “But people don’t usually stay around.”

“I’m not most people,” said Shiro firmly. “And I’m not going to disappear. But I suppose this is like the milkshakes; I’m going to have to convince you.”

Keith’s open eye came up quickly. “Huh?”

“You know, our little wager about the best milkshakes in town?” Shiro continued nonchalantly. “I guess while I’m proving Luigi’s have the best, I’ll also have to prove that I’m not going anywhere.”

He was rewarded with a small grin from Keith.

“So,” Shiro held his hand out, close to Keith so he wouldn’t have to move much, “friends?”

Keith stared for a moment before tentatively taking Shiro’s hand. “Friends.”

oOo

There was no sign of Keith when Shiro arrived in the Red Lion’s hangar, but the lion’s particle barrier was up.

 _Only one place he can be,_ Shiro reasoned before calling, “Keith? Are you in there? It’s me, Shiro.”

There was no response.

“I’m just here to talk, nothing else.”

Still no response.

“Keith,” he tried again, “I’m sorry I never talked to you about this, but with all that’s happened, I just never got the chance.”

Silence.

“I know you might be a little scared. And it’s okay to be scared…I can’t imagine how overwhelming all this has been for you.”

Nothing.

Shiro sighed. “Keith, please? I just want to talk and that’s it, I promise. Can you let me in?”

He waited in silence for a few minutes before the shield finally came down, allowing him to enter. Inside, Shiro found Keith watching him warily over the back of the pilot’s seat – the Red Lion’s cockpit was smaller than Black’s, but Keith had to kneel just to see over the chair. 

The sight was a stark reminder of how small Keith was, had _been_ at this age. It was easy to forget given that his attitude always made him seem bigger.

Not coming too close, Shiro sat cross-legged on the floor. “Thanks for letting me in.”

Keith shrugged.

“Want to tell me what’s worrying you?” 

The boy hesitated for a moment before quietly admitting, “I don’t want to disappear.”

Shiro was taken aback. “Disappear? Keith, no one is going to make you disappear.”

“But you want to turn me into someone else. I won’t exist.”

He sounded so lost. Pity cut Shiro to the core. “Oh, Keith. That’s not what’s going to happen. You’re still going to be you, just…older.”

The apprehension didn’t leave Keith’s face.

Shiro hesitated, unsure how to tackle this. How was he supposed to explain it when he wasn’t completely clear on the whole process himself? Pidge probably understood it better, but Shiro doubted Keith would listen to her.

The silence stretched out. Keith was a master of reticence, even at this age, and Shiro knew he would have to be the one to break the quiet. He wracked his brain for the best way to discuss this, jerking a little when an idea occurred to him. “Do you want to know what older you is like?”

Keith snorted. “You mean the guy who got kicked out of the Garrison?” 

“I don’t know what happened there,” Shiro reminded him. “But even though you were kicked out, you were the best pilot the Garrison’s ever had. And you’re still the best pilot that I know. You’re also brave, loyal, a fierce fighter and an important member of this family.”

Keith raised a sceptical eyebrow.

“Yes, family,” insisted Shiro. “This team is a family and you’re a part of that. You just don’t remember right now.”

Something sparked in Keith’s eyes. “What else don’t I remember?”

“A lot. Like the day you admitted I was right about Luigi’s having the best milkshakes in town.”

“That happened?!”

“Yup. But we tried a lot of milkshakes before you did.” Shiro paused for a second. “Just so you know, older you is still as stubborn as a mule.”

Keith gave him a small smile. “What else?”

“How ‘bout the Christmas you came to stay with me and my family in Colorado? It was the first time you’d ever seen snow and it was impossible to keep you inside because you loved it so much. You kicked my butt in our first snowball fight.”

“I spent a Christmas with you?” 

Shiro nodded. “Two, actually.”

Keith looked like he didn’t know what to say.

“Those Christmases were fun,” Shiro added, smiling. “But you know what was less fun? Teaching you to drive. It was like there was no such thing as speed limits. I always came away from those lessons thankful to be alive.”

A tiny laugh escaped Keith.

“Our first camping trip was pretty memorable too,” Shiro continued. “A bear wandered into our camp one evening and we spent most of the night in a tree while it pawed apart our supplies. You were so impatient being stuck up there, I honestly thought you’d climb down and attack the bear just to get rid of it.” Shiro gave a fond chuckle and shook his head. “Older you is still pretty impatient, but you’re working on it.”

The boy’s eyes were wide. “We really did all that?” 

“That and more. We’ve had a lot of adventures, Keith, and I don’t want you to forget any of them.”

The boy stared at Shiro, biting his lip. “I want to remember but…what if being changed back makes me forget everything?” 

“Do you remember our first meeting in that parking lot? Your school trip to the Garrison? Your self-defence lessons with me?”

Keith nodded.

“Then being deaged didn’t make you forget, did it?”

Keith shook his head. 

“Which means being turned back won’t cause you to forget either.” 

The boy didn’t look convinced, and Shiro shuffled over so he could put a hand on his arm. “Do you remember the promise I made in the hospital?”

“You promised to look out for me,” said Keith, hesitating before adding in a soft voice, “It…sounds like you kept it.”

Shiro nodded. “I did. And I’m keeping that promise now because I know that if you remembered everything I do, you would want to be turned back.”

Keith gnawed on his lip for a long minute before sighing. “Will it hurt?”

“Being turned back?”

Keith nodded again.

“I don’t know,” Shiro admitted. “But we can ask the Govnex.”

“No, don’t. It hurts worse when you expect it.”

Shiro winced, because of course Keith would know that. “Are you ready to do this?”

Keith took a deep breath and stood up.

Shiro smiled and led the way out of the lion. Glancing up at Red, he asked, “How’d you know to come here?”

Keith shrugged. “Before, when I came here with Hunk, I could feel something. It felt…safe. I just thought…” He shrugged again. “I don’t know how to explain it.”

Shiro ruffled his hair. “It’s okay. I understand.”

They made their way back to the bridge, where everyone was still waiting: Allura and Coran standing with the Govnex, while the paladins were clustered a safe distance away. Relief showed on everyone’s faces as soon as they entered the room.

“Thank quiznak!” Hunk breathed. “Keith, man, you have got to stop scaring us like that.”

Keith shuffled awkwardly and stared at the ground. 

“Keith, are you ready for the Govnex to change you back?” asked Allura, direct as ever.

Still staring at the ground, the boy nodded. 

“You sure?” Shiro prodded, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

Keith looked up at him. “I’m sure.”

Shiro squeezed his shoulder. “Then I’ll see you in a minute, okay?”

Keith nodded again.

“See you on the other side, mullet!” Lance teased, winking at Keith. 

The boy rolled his eyes in response.

They stood back, giving Keith a clear space as the Govnex stepped up. Shiro met Keith’s eyes and smiled reassuringly, although a small part of him felt something bittersweet. In a weird way, it felt a little like Shiro really was losing someone.

Then there was a bright flash and the bittersweet feeling was replaced by a surge of relief; teenage Keith stood before them in his paladin armour, bayard out.

“Keith!” Hunk cheered and dived at him, seizing the red paladin in one of his bear hugs and nearly getting himself stabbed on Keith’s bayard.

Keith grunted and angled the bayard away, dematerializing it as he did so. 

“Oh, man, Keith! We missed you!” Hunk babbled, squeezing Keith.

The red paladin looked spectacularly grumpy, his face squashed against Hunk’s chest, but he patted Hunk’s back awkwardly. 

As Keith pulled away from Hunk, Shiro stepped forward. Smiling, he grabbed Keith into a hug and squeezed as tight as the armour would allow. “It’s good to have you back.”

“Good to be back,” said Keith, returning the embrace.

“Wait! You remember?” said Shiro, pulling back.

The red paladin nodded, and Shiro’s heart sank. He’d so hoped Keith wouldn’t remember being eaten alive – he already had enough bad memories to fill a lifetime. 

Lance socked Keith’s shoulder. “Man, I never thought I’d be happy to see your dumb face again!”

“What? Missed the competition?” Keith jibed, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“Competition? Psssh! Like you’re even on my level.”

“You’re still working two levels below me with the gladiator, Lance.”

Lance waved a hand, nearly taking Pidge’s glasses off. “Details.”

Shooting Lance an irritated glare, Pidge nudged Keith. “I kinda liked not being the shortest one on the team for a change, but I missed having you around, Keith.”

“We all did, Number Four,” Coran chimed in, patting Keith’s arm.

“Yes,” said Allura, smiling, “we are very happy to have you back, Keith.”

“Uh…thanks,” said Keith, looking a little awkward.

Shiro knew Keith wasn’t used to having people fuss over him. The contrast between this Keith surrounded by people who cared about him, and the lonely kid in a hospital bed made something warm spark inside Shiro.

Keith finally had a family who would always look out for him. 

The tall Govnex stepped forward and gave Keith a small bow. “We apologize for the distress we caused you, Paladin. But we will make amends for all.”

“O-kay,” said Keith slowly.

“It is time for us to take our leave,” the smaller Govnex said. “We thank you for all you have done, Paladins of Voltron.”

“Um…” Hunk stepped up, looking both scared and teary. He was holding the rattler he’d made and proffered it to the ancient creatures. “I made this for Amira. I just thought, you know, maybe he might want to keep it?”

“Thank you,” said the tall Govnex, taking the rattler. “We will be sure to tell her about the Paladins of Voltron.”

“Wait! _Her?!_ ” cried Lance.

The smaller Govnex nodded.

The blue paladin’s eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open. “How the heck is he a she?! I mean, he has a little thing and–”

“ _Lance!_ ” said Shiro warningly, before he could instigate what would very likely be a rude discussion on the topic of gender.

“Bye, Amira,” Hunk said, eyes welling up as he waved.

The baby gripped one of Hunk’s fingers in its fat little hands and the yellow paladin immediately burst into tears. Lance patted his back in a _there, there_ gesture, but his own eyes looked suspiciously watery as well.

Pidge and Keith just watched with impassive expressions.

“Farewell, Paladins of Voltron,” said both Govnex, the multitude of ancient voices reverberating around the room once more. “May your quest bring peace to the universe.”

Then they turned and floated towards the window, phasing through it once more and then vanishing on the other side.

Shiro blinked, digesting the abrupt disappearance. Then he shook himself and turned back to his reunited team, smiling at Keith. “You must be hungry. We were interrupted before you got any food.”

“Ooooh, yes!” Hunk exclaimed, cheering up immediately. “I made cookies to celebrate you getting out of the pod, but Kid you didn’t get the chance to have any. We can totally have them now to celebrate getting you back.”

Keith gave him a small smile. “Thanks, Hunk.”

“Yes, good idea, Hunk,” said Allura. “It will take us a few vargas to return to Kovac, so we can celebrate Keith’s return on the way.”

“Woohoo, party!” cried Lance, slinging an arm over Keith’s shoulders and earning himself a narrow-eyed glare from the red paladin. “Oh, knock it off, mullet. I can be happy to have you back for ten minutes.”

Keith relaxed a little, although Shiro could tell he was still somewhat bewildered by the fuss.

“To the kitchen!” cried Hunk, seizing Keith by the arm and dragging him out of the room. Lance and Pidge were hot on their heels.

Shiro, Allura and Coran all exchanged fond smiles before following after them.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone who commented and left kudos on this fic. I appreciate it more than you know. This story was an epic labour (battle?) of love because aside from being so GODDAMN LONG, it was my first Voltron fic. Also, I challenged myself to write the entire fic from one perspective as I've never done that outside of a three-shot before. Plus, it was written in two different timelines which I've never done either. I've deliberately pushed the boundaries of my comfort zones with my last two fics because I'm trying to make myself a better writer, so I'm aware that those fics aren't as strong as they could have been. 
> 
> I also need to thank my awesome beta, HaleyKim, for all her hardwork. I am damn lucky to have such an excellent beta and I appreciate her massively. 
> 
> And since Season 4 is now less than two weeks away, everybody ENJOY! :D

Telling the Kovacians they had allowed the Govnex to live was even harder than Shiro expected.

For one thing, they were so angry that they refused to listen when Allura first tried to explain what had happened. For another, Allura couldn’t disclose the whole truth because the Govnex didn’t want to share their history. She could say that the Govnex had been forced to do the Rykurians’ bidding, but she couldn’t reveal how they had been controlling them.

To get around that hurdle, Allura and Coran had concocted a story involving magic, machines and mind control that went so far over Shiro’s head that he stayed silent for the whole meeting lest he said something to derail the tale. Personally, he would have gone for something simpler and easier to remember, but both Allura and Coran insisted that a complicated tale would be more likely to appease the fierce Kovacians.

However, it took several hours of discussion before Allura finally managed to convince King Icknu and his council members that allowing the Govnex to live had been necessary to defeat the Rykurians. And it took even longer to extract a promise that no one would attack the Govnex when they came to return the refugees currently on Kovac to their normal ages. 

Shiro had been worried that the king wouldn’t keep his word, despite Allura assuring him the Kovacians’ were people of honour who took their vows seriously. It wasn’t until Allura gave the monarch a communicator and promised that Voltron would assist Kovac if ever they needed it that Shiro relaxed – the king’s clear satisfaction at the gift made it blatantly obvious that he valued an alliance with Voltron, and wouldn’t do anything that risked breaking it.

Once they were back on the castleship, Allura and Coran went to contact the Dovari to let them know the danger had passed, while Shiro went in search of Keith – Allura had felt it best that only a few of them brief the Kovacians, so the younger paladins had stayed on the ship. Shiro hadn’t had the chance to speak with Keith alone since he was returned to his proper age, and he wanted to make sure Keith was okay.

He entered the common area to find Pidge on one of the couches, laptop resting on her crossed legs while she hunched over it, typing furiously.

“Pidge, have you seen Keith?”

“Kicking Lance’s ass on the training deck,” she replied, not looking up from whatever she was doing. 

Shiro smiled fondly. Lance had been less antagonistic with Keith since his return to his rightful age, and Shiro strongly suspected that the blue paladin had missed the red paladin…not that he’d ever in a million years admit it of course.

“Thanks, Pidge.” 

“Uh-huh.”

Shiro grinned and left their youngest paladin to it. Once Pidge was invested in a project, the world around her disappeared. 

Making his way towards the training deck, Shiro heard swords clashing, followed by a loud shriek. Then Lance’s voice yelled, “What the hell, mullet! You cheated!”

Shiro sighed. Sounded like the ceasefire was over.

“It’s not cheating, Lance,” Keith’s voice came back. “If you swung your sword like that during a real fight, you’d be dead. You’re fighting, not dancing!”

“It’s called _finesse_ , Keith!”

“It’s called sitting duck, Lance. You’re wasting unnecessary time waving the sword around, it’s leaving you open.”

“It’s not leaving me open!”

“Lance, I literally just knocked you on your ass. It’s leaving you open. Now, try again and stop posturing.”

Shiro arrived on the training deck just as Keith hauled a sulking Lance to his feet. The blue paladin spotted him immediately and cried, “Shiro, Keith is cheating!”

Keith rolled his eyes. “I’m not cheating, Lance.”

“Yes, you are! Shiro, make him stop.”

“ʻMake him stop?’” repeated Keith incredulously. “What are you, five?”

Yup. Ceasefire was definitely over. Shiro sighed again. “Alright, you two, knock it off.”

They scowled at each other before turning to Shiro. “How’d it go with the Kovacians?” Keith asked.

“Took a while, but we managed to convince them that the Govnex were innocent and didn’t deserve to die.”

“What about all the refugees still on Kovac? Will they let the Govnex turn them back?” Lance’s face was pinched with worry.

Shiro knew it was because this was personal for him; he’d helped rescue most of those people. “They’ve given their word that no one will attack the Govnex when they come to return everyone to normal. And Allura is contacting the Dovari now to let them know it’s safe to come out of hiding.”

“Good.” Lance shook his head. “Never thought I’d say this but I’m glad to be getting back to fighting the Galra. Feels less bloody and complicated, y’know?”

Shiro nodded. 

“So, what’s our next move?” Keith asked. 

“Back to building alliances,” Shiro replied. “We’re going to need all the help we can get against the Galra.”

Lance smirked. “Guess I’d better go work on my diplomacy skills. All those babes to impress…”

Keith rolled his eyes. “We’re in the middle of a training session, Lance.”

“But we’ve been at it for hours! Isn’t it time for like, a break or something?”

“We’ve only been training for forty-five minutes,” Keith said, looking distinctly unimpressed. 

“No way! We’ve been training for way longer than–”

“Actually, Lance,” Shiro cut in, “a break sounds like a good idea. I want a quick word with Keith.”

Keith gave him a questioning look, while Lance quirked an eyebrow.

“It’s nothing big,” Shiro clarified. “I’m just…checking in.”

Lance shrugged. “Okay. I’m gonna go see if Hunk made more of those space cookies.” 

The blue paladin disappeared, leaving Shiro and Keith alone.

“Is everything okay?” asked Keith.

“Funny, that’s what I was going to ask you.”

“Everything’s fine.”

“Are you sure?” Shiro shot him a concerned look. “You’ve had a rough two weeks.”

Keith waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it.”

“But–”

“Shiro, I’m _okay_. Really.” Keith gave him one of those wide-eyed, earnest looks that meant he was serious. 

Shiro sighed. “If you say so. I just wish you didn’t remember what happened with the Rykurians. It’s not like you needed more bad memories.”

“Seriously, Shiro, don’t worry about it. I’m fine, aren’t I?”

“Yeah, but still…” Shiro shook his head. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.”

Keith frowned. “Why are you apologizing? Shiro, that wasn’t your fault. There was nothing you could have done and I shouldn’t have stowed away on that pod anyway.”

“Speaking of, why _did_ you stow away on the pod?”

“I was worried about you.”

Shiro raised an eyebrow.

Keith gave an awkward shrug. “You came back from the battle on Domeer covered in blood and then spent two days in a cryo-pod. I was– Kid Me was freaked out. I didn’t trust the others and I didn’t know what was happening. So, when you came out of the pod and practically went straight to the Rykurian ship…” Keith shrugged again. “I needed to make sure you’d be okay.”

“Keith…” Shiro hesitated before continuing, “I know the team were just strangers when you were deaged, but they’re not now. You know you can trust them, right?”

“I do trust them.” Keith’s voice was quiet.

“Good. Because they have your back, Keith, no matter what.” He put a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “And so do I.”

Keith gave him a small smile. “I’ve known that since I was twelve and you rescued me from that house.”

Shiro grimaced. “Yeah, about that… Sorry I told the team about your past.”

“It’s okay. I understand why you did. I wasn’t an easy kid, especially at that age.”

“You were easier than you think.”

Keith shook his head, forehead pinched in a frown. “I wasn’t. I know how angry I was, and how often I took it out on you. It was only after getting…deaged that I realized I never said I’m sorry.” 

“Keith, you don’t have to–”

“I know. But I am. Sorry, I mean. For all the times I yelled at you when you were only trying to help. And…and for getting kicked out of the Garrison.”

Shiro blinked. “Why are you apologizing for that?”

“You were so proud of me for getting in, and I let you down.” His gaze dropped to the floor.

“Keith,” Shiro squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, “you have never let me down. I have never been anything but proud of you.”

Keith’s face brightened a little. “Thanks, Shiro.”

Shiro patted his shoulder a final time before releasing it. “Are you ever going to tell me what happened with the Garrison?”

Keith grimaced. “I’m not proud of it…”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s not that. I just…” Keith sighed. “I lost my temper when I shouldn’t have, and I didn’t want to tell you and disappoint you even more.”

Shiro gave a fond smile. “I thought we established that you couldn’t disappoint me.”

“I punched Iverson in the face,” Keith told him flatly.

Shiro froze. “You…what?”

“I punched Iverson in the face,” Keith repeated. “He used you, blamed you for the Kerberos mission during a training simulation. He kept droning on about the fallibility of pilots and wouldn’t shut up, so I punched him.” Keith sighed again. “I was already on academic probation and I guess that was the last straw – they kicked me out.”

“Keith…how…” Shiro shook his head. “Why were you on academic probation? Your grades were amongst the top in your class before I left for Kerberos.”

“I didn’t turn in a couple of assignments.” 

Shiro frowned. Keith’s scholarship had been dependent on him keeping his grades up. He knew better than to play Russian roulette like that. “Why not?”

Keith didn’t look at him. “I was dealing with some stuff.”

“Stuff,” repeated Shiro. “You mean Kerberos?”

Keith’s silence was answer enough.

Shiro sighed. “I should have guessed. Keith, I’m sorry Kerberos was the reason you were–”

“No!” Keith interrupted, shaking his head. “See, this is exactly why I didn’t want to tell you.”

“What?” said Shiro, startled.

“Kerberos wasn’t the reason I was booted from the Garrison; _I_ was! I’m the one who didn’t turn in those assignments and I’m the one who punched Iverson. The person billons of miles away in space wasn’t responsible.”

“Keith–”

“No, Shiro!” Keith gave him a fierce look. “You always find a way to blame yourself for stuff like this, even when it’s not your fault or when there’s nothing you could have done.”

“I know. I’m just…I’m sorry Kerberos cost you so much.”

“It cost you more,” Keith replied, with a glance at Shiro’s prosthetic.

Shiro couldn’t argue that. He tilted his head, studying Keith. “Are you really okay?”

Keith nodded.

“Alright. But you know where to find me if you need to talk.”

Keith nodded again.

Shiro smiled. “Now, since I sent away your sparring partner, do you want to train with me?”

“Just us?” asked Keith, looking surprised and a little hopeful. 

Shiro knew they hadn’t trained together without the rest of the team since finding Voltron – Keith was the strongest fighter after Shiro and needed less training than the other paladins, so Shiro had been using the one-on-one time to bring the others up to speed. But it never occurred to him that Keith might have missed that time until now.

He clapped the boy across the shoulder. “Just us. Prepare to have your butt kicked.”

Keith gave a rare, massive grin. “Bring it on!”

Getting into position, Shiro stole a quick glance at Keith to find the red paladin’s face more relaxed than he’d ever seen. He’d come a long way from the lonely kid who trusted no one, and Shiro was proud of the person he was becoming. Even though he hated what Keith’s early childhood had been, Shiro knew it played a part in making Keith who he was.  
Funny how the past cast its shadows in the present, sometimes for the better.

Even for himself, Shiro realized suddenly. Everything he’d suffered at the hands of the Galra made him who he was, created the leader he’d become. He wouldn’t even be a part of Voltron if he hadn’t been abducted by aliens, wouldn’t have this little rag tag team of misfits out to save the universe.

And Shiro wouldn’t change his little space family for anything.


End file.
